Unfortunate Misunderstandings
by reader-chic-2
Summary: Nico returns to Olympia Academy in a new cabin with new cabin mates. His antisocial tendencies are challenged by a bright, tall Will Solace. His insistence to become friends with the dark swordsman aggravates Nico immensely, but the glowing acher isn't phased. Eventually, aggravation turns to something more. The only problem? Unfortunate misunderstandings. (AU/AH)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot. Rick owns all the lovely characters.**

 **Warning: I haven't read the books about Apollo so I'm not aware of everything Solangelo, but here goes nothing.**

 **Inspiration: I'm so fed up with homophobia. Considering where I live, it's very bad. And I shipped these two instantly. It's the first maleXmale fix i've done, but I'm soooo into it it's crazy.**

 **Btw, to my follows of the Clace story Lonesome Wanderers, I want you to know I've not given up on it. Just, right now I'm feeling the Solangelo. I promise I'm working on it.**

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There was nowhere else he'd wish he could be less than Olympia Academy for Talented Boys. Everywhere he looked, the campus was stained with memories. In the open field in front of the cabins, he got the call. In the training area between the field and the learning hall, Chiron, the headmaster, had forced him to leave and deal with his situation. Far into the woods straight to the left of the cabins was the last place he'd spoken to his sister.

Nico's hands clenched. He stuck the ear buds into his ears and turned up the music. Nico glanced at the cabin far to the right. That was his old cabin. That cabin was familiar. That cabin had people like Octavian, who didn't blink an eye to Nico. He'd had an acquaintance named Charlie in that cabin, who would let him sit at his table for lunch. Nico never had a friend, but he also wasn't totally unwanted and despised there. But the first twelve cabins were for rich people. Nico no longer fell under that category.

He fell under the scholarship category. When his parents died, he would have taken their saving and the mansion, but it burned down with them. He would have preferred to be taken into foster care rather than come back here where people were vaguely familiar with him. They'd ask why he left for break early. It was unnerving.

Chiron walked beside him. "You'll be with three of our most talented swordsman, which should help you build your skills. You'll also be with our two archer prodigies." His gruff voice was firm, clear, as if no one could disagree with him. No matter how shitty his mood was Nico wasn't stupid. Chiron was the smartest person on campus. He taught archery, but he knew everything about anything.

Their boarding school was part of the most prestigious types in America. They taught the four main subjects, but the electives and sports were all Greek and Roman related. Everything was based on the mythology behind the gods of Olympus. It was only when Nico first came here as a freshman that they no longer separated the boys into cabins based on their personalities.

They had a sister school based on the same principles, as well. His sister had gone there. It was through the woods and across the river. On times when they were feeling lonely, they'd sneak across the river and visit each other, spending hours in the wood. It was always dangerous considering if the 'harpy' squad caught them there was no telling what they'd do. His half-sister still went there, now falling under the same rule of scholarship as he. She excelled in cavalry, which few ever did.

"You know how the school works," Chiron stopped by the entrance to cabin thirteen.

"Breakfast at eight. Lunch at 1. Dinner at 7. Bonfire at 8. Lights out at 9." Nico muttered. "Got it."

Chiron nodded. "We now have a new rule, Nico. It is mandatory to eat with your cabin, every meal. Just as well, training will be with your cabin. Actually, that is just for the scholarship cabin to influence your focus towards working together as a team. As you know, the team match will be picked in two weeks. First match is in three."

Nico felt his stomach twist in agony. Nico never liked his cabin mates before, but he knew of some of the scholarship students. They were the best on the team and knew it. They only hung out with each other because they couldn't lower themselves to the others averages. Doing just about everything with them would be hell. "Joy."

Chiron sent him a disapproving look. "I understand you've been through a lot, Nico. These boys? They have, too. Give them a chance, young one."

Nico gritted his teeth. Every inch of him was telling him to reprimand him for calling him 'young one.' His advice was just as unnerving. Nico slipped in his other ear bud, nodded curtly, and walked up the cabin steps. Waiting wouldn't magically transport him halfway across the world no matter how much he strained for it.

Chiron walked away, leaving him to enter. Nico felt like knocking. This wasn't his cabin. He didn't know these people. But now it was his temporary home for the semester. He had no choice in the matter. If it was his, he didn't have to knock.

Inside, there was loud laughter. Nico cringed at the sound. They were happy people. Chiron was very wrong. These boys did not know a thing about what he went through. Not that he planned on asking them. He didn't plan on talking to them much at all.

Nico pushed the door open reluctantly. The cabin was laid out differently from his old one had been. The beds were much closer together than he appreciated. Only a small nightstand separated each of the six beds. On the opposite wall, parallel to the beds, were their dressers. There was a small desk on each side of the room. In the middle, there was a large couch. Nico's eyes widened. His cabin never had a couch. Then again, his cabin had four more people, no desks, and bunk beds. It was always crowded.

Percy Jackson was naturally the first person he saw. During his freshman year, Percy was in his Greek Mythology class and was utterly clueless. Nico helped him out from time to time, and an infatuation with him had built. Nico didn't call it a crush. It was unnatural, and the more and more time he got to know Percy, the less intense his feelings became. Besides, Percy was very straight for his girlfriend in their sister school. By junior year, he'd moved on, but he'd always remembered.

Percy beamed a ball at another boy's chest. Nico had seen all these guys before. It was a small school. He'd probably heard their names before, too, but couldn't match the names to the places.

It bounced off the boy's body and hit Nico, causing his ear buds to fall out.

"Woah, I'm sorry!" Jason said between laughter. Nico's glare hardened.

Percy shoved his way around the couch, pushing Jason into the couch with force. "Dude, Nico, you're back! Are you prepared to stay in the best cabin of all time?"

Like Nico said, these guys knew they were the best. Nico shrunk away from him, staring like he had two heads.

Another blonde boy, smaller than the first, got off his bed and came to Percy's side. "Did you hit him in the head? Can you hear us?" Without warning, his hands met Nico's face, twisting it as his blue eyes analyzed his black ones. "I think you broke him."

Nico shoved his hands off him, but he was already pressed against the door. "Hands off, Blondie."

The boy's face split into a wide grin, and Nico's heart leapt into his throat. He was shocked to be so awestruck of this guy's beauty when he stood next to Percy, who he'd previously deemed as the best looking guy on campus. This guy was shorter, more towards his height, but still above him, of course. His had a lean build, but had more muscles than Nico. Of course. He had a defined jaw line for his small build, and a tiny nose, too. His blue eyes were the brightest he'd ever seen. It was a light blue that peeked into his soul, which annoyed Nico deeply. His smile was heart stopping and so infectious, he was _tempted_ to smile back.

"I'm Will Solace, newest best archer on campus. Nico di Angelo, right?" He extended his hand, and Nico stared at it like there were eleven fingers. He dropped it, and Nico nodded bluntly. He looked around. From the bathroom, a shirtless Latino exited. Nico watched with wide eyes as he pulled open his drawer, which didn't want to open. Half of the clothes spilled out. He cursed and started shoving things back inside. "That's Leo Valdez."

"The hottest guy on campus? Yeah, that's me," Leo grinned a grin that made Nico worry about his safety.

"This is Percy, which you know. And that's Jason Grace. Welcome to cabin 13." Will gestured for him to step further inside. Nico slung his bag over his shoulder and walked into the room.

"Newest best prodigy? What did the old one die?" Nico muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. Will's smile melted like a Popsicle in a hot summer day. He scratched the back of his head.

"Uh, yeah. Last year. Remember? Michael Yew and Lee Fletcher?" Will cleared his throat.

"He left early," Percy said. The mood in the cabin dropped, as it usually did when Nico entered the room.

"Okay, no more moping," Leo came over and slung his arms around Will and Percy, which was an odd scene considering the height differences. "Let's see your schedule, Nico. See who you have classes with."

Nico rolled his eyes. "Which one is my bed?"

Will jerked his head towards the far end of the cabin. Nico followed him. "This one is mine," he patted the one beside the one in the corner. "Unless you want to switch out of the corner."

He sounded like he was really offering to switch beds just for Nico's convenience. Nico didn't answer. He dropped his bag on the bed. Will stood behind Nico, watching him as he unpacked his clothes into the dressers. Nico ignored him. Jason, Percy, and Leo started up another round of indoor football.

"Frank Zhang is running late."

"Of course he is!" Leo cackled. "Probably off trying to flirt with Hazel."

Nico's muscles stiffened. Hazel was his half-sister. He had no clue she'd been in contact with anyone at his school. He really hoped she didn't tell Frank what went down with their family, even though she most likely did. She told Frank everything.

Will sat on his bed. "I'm new to this cabin, too. They've got…quite the bromance, huh?" Nico's glare turned on Will. He continued grinning, as if the boy who looked like death wasn't furious with him. Bromance. For a split second, fear pulsed inside his brain. Did he know about Nico's secret? Not even his sisters knew. Nobody knew. And he had to keep it that way, now more than ever. He could only imagine how much more his new cabin would detest him once they found out he was undeniably attracted to the boy shamelessly grinning at him.

Nico sat on the bed. "Is Frank dating Hazel?"

He hadn't spoken to Hazel much after the funeral. Hazel's mom could technically keep her, but she decided to strive for a scholarship at _Graeca et Romana_ Girls Academy. He'd met Frank before, and he didn't mind them together, but he wanted to know.

"No. If you know Hazel, you know she takes it slow," Will shrugged.

"She's my sister," Nico muttered as he plugged in another ear bud. He was about to lean back on his bed when Will reached out and grabbed his arm. Nico jerked away like it had burned him. It practically had. Energy had coursed up his arm, more so than what was considered normal.

"We're going to go get dinner when Frank gets here." Will said, eyes staring into Nico's like an invitation. "You're coming, right?"

Nico frowned. He would have to suffer through plenty of meals with them. Since he wasn't hungry now, he figured he'd lower the number as much as he could. "Already ate." Then, he plugged in his other ear bud and fell back on the bed, closing his eyes to try and block out the shitty-ness of his life.

Will didn't bug him again.

Nico's nightmares were mellow for once. Of course, he got little sleep, but he didn't wake in a screaming fit. Sometimes that happened. If he didn't detest these arrogant guys already, he would have felt bad for them having to suffer through it.

When he sat up and opened his eyes, the sight before him was…interesting. Percy had his shirt backwards and was struggling with getting his feet through his jeans. "Where's…the fucking…zippe – ow!"

"Don't zip up your dick…again," came a bored voice he'd heard from a distance before but never up close. It was Frank Zhang, calmly sitting on the couch reading a book. Seriously, Nico thought, he was reading already?

Leo was, again, frantically looking through his drawers for something to wear. Jason was in one of the showers. Every cabin had a bathroom with two showers, two toilets, and one sink.

The most startling scene was Will Solace. He had a towel wrapped around his waist, but that was all. His hair was disheveled as usual, and wet. Nico watched as he stretched and applied deodorant. He hoped his mouth wasn't open. Nico knew he should have looked away, but Will had his own gravity force, attracting his eyes without permission. The image was burned into Nico's eyes, and he prayed it never left. He could describe every line of muscle and every inch of hair on that boy's body.

Then, Will caught him looking. With a cheeky grin, he grabbed his shirt and winked at Nico. Then, he pulled on his pants. "See you at breakfast. And yes, you're eating before you waste away, _Death Boy_."

Nico barely registered his words. Only when he walked into the bathroom did he notice that his shirt said ' _Death Boys'_ on it with a skull and bones design. It was his favorite band, but nobody knew about them.

Nico couldn't breathe. For the moment, he wasn't worried about anyone noticing his secret. He just couldn't come to terms with the fact that Nico had, at least, one good thing to wake up to every day. He didn't like his cabin one bit, but he could easily suffer through the morning part of the day.

. . .

Breakfast was never the busiest time of day, which was odd. It had the best food. Nico walked with one ear bud in his ear, blaring music in hopes that people would ignore him. He filled his plate up all the way. What Will said was true. He had to gain some weight. His muscles already strained during training, and that was a little under a month ago. He didn't do any training and could barely keep any food down in that time.

Nico spotted Charlie and his old table, throwing food and laughing like crazy as usual. They didn't see Nico. They weren't looking for him, either. As Nico walked towards cabin thirteen's table, the kids at the other tables all stared at Nico. Some tried to hide it. Others didn't. He knew he scared people. He always had. They must have gotten used to his disappearance last year, hoping he'd never come back.

Believe him, he did too.

Nico sat down at the end of their table. Will moved from the opposite end to right in front of him. "He eats!" he announced, like it was an accomplishment. Nico sneered at him. The rest of the guys quickly filled the table.

He kept quiet for most of the meal, but then they started to ask him stuff. "So how big is your sword?" Frank asked. Everyone knew Frank was handy with a bow and arrow. If he could remember correctly, Frank, Michael Yew, Lee Fletcher, and Will Solace all competed for the top two spots in their competition team last year. Michael and Lee won, but Frank was just centimeters off.

"Frank, that is highly inappropriate conversation for breakfast!" Will snickered, nudging Nico's foot under the table. Nico cast his gaze to his food instantly. Stupid dirty blond god. "Seriously, though, I didn't see you bring your sword."

Nico shrugged, shoveling food into his mouth to keep from snapping at Will. He figured it would happen eventually and he'd scare away the chipper boy, but Nico wanted a few more days of allowed viewing before Will saw him as a freak.

"Nico left before he could grab his sword last year. We kept it in storage. It's a scary one," Percy said. "Of course, nothing like Riptide."

Jason snorted. "You're in love with your sword."

"So what if I am?"

"Annabeth might have a problem with that!" Leo snickered.

Normally, at the mention of Annabeth's name, Percy would burst into his most recent story, whether it was about how she kicked his butt or about where they most recently had sex. Percy had no shame. Nico always felt bad for Annabeth. She had no clue, but everyone at their school knew a lot more about her sex life than they should have. This time, however, Percy looked at his food intently and shrugged. Nico was shocked. He'd never been shut up so quickly.

Will kicked him under the table again. "Can I see your schedule?'

Nico reluctantly pulled out his schedule. He hadn't even looked at it more than once. Will scanned it with a growing smile, one that made Nico's stomach twist. Why was he smiling like he'd scammed the lottery from a cranky old guy? "We have Monsterology and Apollo's Anatomy together."

Nico shoved his remaining food around with his fork. "They need new names. What's wrong with regular anatomy?" he muttered. Will's laughter chimed like the sound of a thousand kids laughing with pure joy. It was an honest laugh, one that lessened Nico's annoyed mood. Nico looked up, surprised he was laughing in the first place.

"You're my partner in both. I'll save you a seat," Will stood up grinning.

"Yeah, whatever, Solace. Just stop smiling so much. It gives me a headache." Nico said. Will's smile only widened.

"No promises, di Angelo!"

Nico swore that kid had problems. But then so did he.

Nico spent most of the school day hating his classes. He didn't mean to sound so dark, but how could one enjoy spending an hour writing down notes? He wanted to know how he was supposed to be happy about that.

They didn't have lockers at their school, only backpacks. The kids were expected to go to their cabin and switch out their books at lunch. That was exactly what Nico did after grabbing a sandwich from the mess hall. He saw his table eying him, unsure if he was going to sit or not. Nico didn't feel like awkwardly listening in on their conversations again. For most of breakfast, he'd felt like he was intruding.

Of course, he wasn't let off the hook that easily. He had ten more minutes of blissful 'me time' in the cabin alone. He should have figured somebody would have came to check on him. A kid like him screamed 'thief.' So when the door banged open, Nico didn't even open his eyes.

He did when whoever walked in sat on his bed.

"I'm a doctor in training, and skipping a meal is probably why you can't catch up to Percy and Jason." Ah yes, the musical tone of Will Solace's 'I know it all' voice even broke through his music. Nico opened his eyes and sat up, pushing himself back when he noticed how incredibly close Will had sat.

"Talking is probably why you won't ever catch up to Lee and Michael," Nico deadpanned and kicked his feet, forcing Will to get up. "Shut up and leave me alone."

Nico didn't know what he was expecting when he said that. He knew it would hurt Will, but he didn't expect it would hurt _him_. He looked like Nico had personally beat his mother to death. Nico may as well have. Will stumbled back, almost falling over his bed.

He didn't even say bye he was out the door so quick. Nico watched him walk numbly back to the mess hall, watched him ignore Jason as he spoke to him. For the first time since his long line of insulting people, Nico felt completely and utterly bad about it. Will invaded his personal space, but did he deserve to have his world crushed by a potential friend just because Nico was feeling uncomfortable?

Nico hated himself, which wasn't uncommon, but today it was especially bad.

Shit.

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 **A/N: Well, that's the beginning. It's a long story. I'll probably update weekly, maybe. It depends on how much feedback I get. I appreciate positive and negative feedback, by the way. So please leave your opinions and ideas about where you think this is going!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just the plot.**

 **Btw: this is not beta'd. If you want to be my beta reader, I'd greatly appreciate it. PM me if so.**

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Nico was sitting at the back of class. He had only two more to go and then he could release his crappy day out on practice dummies at the range. Greek Mythology was something he was pretty well versed in. Nico debated if he could get away with listening to music the entire class period.

Then Chiron walked in, and Nico knew there was no way he could sneak anything on him. The punishment would be cleaning the horse stables, and Nico didn't feel like giving out free labor. He tucked away his phone and ear buds just as somebody sat down right next to him. He gritted his teeth and looked up, preparing to scare away whatever unintelligent boy it was that decided sitting by the person in black at the back of the class was a smart move.

But then he saw the way the sun was reflecting off of Will's eyes, and anything he was about to do fell through. Will turned to him and frowned. "Are you okay?"

Nico shook his head and went back to glaring at his notebook. "I'm fine. Why are you sitting here?"

Will pointed at the board. "Chiron wants us in partners so studying is easier. A promise is a promise, Death Boy. You're my partner."

Nico looked up at him and almost choked on his own breath. Will seemed to understand five seconds too late.

"Not like – I didn't mean…" Will scratched the back of his head with chagrin.

Nico rolled his eyes. "Alright, stop blushing like a tomato. It's embarrassing." Will broke into an embarrassed grin. He ducked his head and then looked back at Nico. Nico pretended not to notice. In the back of his mind, he thought Will was sort of adorable at times. He quickly shoved that thought aside. At the most, he could be his friend, but that was testing his patience a lot.

Chiron began class by blowing a horn. Since everyone took new classes each semester, he started off with the basic introductions. "For those of you who don't know, call me Chiron."

"What do you think his real name is?" Nico muttered, leaning close enough so that only Will could hear him. Will seemed surprised to hear Nico speaking directly to him, without having been prompted.

"Mr. Longbeard." Will said with all seriousness. Nico almost laughed. His lips turned up in a small, undeniable smile. Will grinned back at him immediately.

"Every Monday we will have a test on the next ten gods and goddess of Greek mythology on the list provided. You'll also be required to know their Roman name and any major difference they have. State what their basic realm was and whatnot." Chiron began. "For the first week, we'll be covering…"

Nico zoned out after a while. Will paid extra close attention, and he figured if all else failed he could ask him for help. Will definitely wasn't the worst of his cabin mates to talk to. He didn't look like he ever had anything better to do than speak to Nico, which struck him as kind of odd, but he ignored it. It was almost nice.

Will and Nico walked to their next class together. It was Apollo's Anatomy. Will forced him to take the lab table at the front. He didn't know why he agreed. Maybe he still felt a little guilty from earlier in the day. Of course, he wasn't going to bring that up. He never apologized for something if he was slightly true. Also, he didn't want to see that sad angry look in Will's eyes.

"Alright boys! I'm professor Apollo." The professor was unusually young. "Welcome to AA." He burst into laughter. Will snorted, and Nico couldn't help but compare the two. They looked unusually alike. They both had blond hair and a wicked tan like the sun had kissed their skin just perfectly. Nico didn't like how much they looked alike. Apollo's smile was much more arrogant than Will's, though. Nico decided he'd prefer Will.

"Really, this class is more medical training than Anatomy. Shh, don't tell anyone." Apollo grinned, like he knew we wouldn't. "We'll do a mixture of both. Today, we're going to jump right in it and just examine each other's bodies. Take measure of everything. Find things. Check off this sheet. Return it to me by tomorrow. Since it's the last class, you can all do this on the field. Pair up and have fun."

Nico decided he could tolerate this teacher if he continued to let them out early everyday. He and Will were about to leave, but Will directed Nico to the teacher. "Will Solace!" Apollo grinned.

"Apollo," Will met his grin, and the similarity was uncanny. It made Nico's stomach uneasy. "Nico, this is one of the other archery coaches."

"Other? I'm the best! If Chiron weren't older than me, I'd be head coach." Apollo said with enthusiasm.

"You guys are related, right?" Nico said, stepping back from their blinding smiles. It was getting overwhelming.

Will snorted. "If he's my dad, I'd be quite ashamed of my mother."

"You don't know your dad?" Nico accused, a bit too harshly. Will shrugged, obviously untouched by the subject.

"Nope. My mom is young, but that would still make her a pedophile." Will laughed.

Apollo rolled his eyes. "I'm 34, kid. I just look hot, so you automatically wish I could be your age and see me as young." He crossed his arms over his chest. "I minored in psychology. It's a thing."

Nico felt sort of disgusted. "Why would we want that?"

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "For you two in particular? It's kind of an obvious answer. But if you truly are that daft, I can write a haiku for you."

Nico stumbled back. "I'm good."

"How old was your mom when she had you?" Apollo trained his attention back on Will, looking somewhat interested, but there was something off with the glint in his eye.

"Sixteen."

"Hmph. Send her my way, then, kid," Apollo winked. Will rolled his eyes and shoved his shoulder.

"See you at training," Will chuckled and led Nico out of the room. Nico couldn't help looking back, and he noticed the way Apollo was staring after them, namely Will.

"I think he's into you, dude," Nico hissed.

"Ew, not my type," Will choked out. He pushed through into the open air. It was still very cold for New York. In fact, the hardest part of the winter hadn't truly hit yet.

Nico miniscule hopes deflated. Will was straight. It shouldn't have surprised him. Most guys were. Now he really couldn't let his secret slip. If he was going to survive his last two classes, he had to remain at least general acquaintances with him, possibly friends for a time until Nico scared him away. There was no faster way to freak him out than by keeping his sexuality a secret and him finding out by secret, as if there was a reason he shouldn't know. Nico loathed the fact that there was a reason to keep it secret.

"I know a secret spot," Will said when he didn't stop in the field. Nico let out a loud sigh, alerting him to his disdain. "Don't give me attitude, Ghost King."

"What did you call me?"

When Nico stopped walking, Will grabbed his hand and pulled him into the woods. He didn't speak until they reached a clearing. It was small, really only as wide as a walk in closet. But it left a lot more privacy than in the field. Nico didn't know what to think of that.

"Ghost King?" Will asked as he leaned against a tree. "It's my favorite song from the Death Boys."

Nico truly almost choked. He leaned on the other side of the tree, staring at Will incredulously. "You don't listen to the Death Boys." Will rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone. He scrolled through a long list of music and stopped it at a list of about ten songs. Scrolling through them all, Nico was surprised to see they were all from one of the older albums of the Death Boys. Nico grabbed his hand and stopped him on a certain song. Nico wasn't prepared for the shock that ran through his body when he did so. Will looked up curiously, and Nico's eyes spared a glance at the same time. Instantly, he looked back down and cleared his throat. "This is my favorite song."

"Hell and Back." Will shook his head. "Of course you would."

For whatever reason, the amusement in his voice made Nico blush. He never would have imagined he'd be…not rude enough for a person to say that with such endearment. "Uh, anyways, we need to do the anatomy assignment."

Will nodded. His eyes lit up. "Can I examine you first?"

"How will he know we even did this?"

Will shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I'm curious where the…femoral joint is."

Nico rolled his eyes. "By my groin, doctor genius." Nico almost smirked. "Wanna check it out up close and personal?"

Will's eyes went wide.

"Don't worry, I'm just ki…"

Will was flushing and hiding his face as he forced his eyes upward. He scratched the back of his head, something he did when nervous, Nico picked up on. Nico blinked a couple times, just to be sure he was seeing correctly. Why had such a comment bothered him? Unless, he thought Nico was serious, but still it didn't make sense to Nico.

Will shook his head and looked at the paper. "I knew that, by the way." Nico opened his mouth to respond, but the flustered Will couldn't stop talking. "I work in the clinic. My mom's a surgeon and kind of taught me like major doctoring skills. That and I've taken college anatomy in the summers-,"

"Why are you taking this class then?"

Will shrugged. "I've completed all other courses and Apollo is really cool. Let's us out early a lot, I hear." He glanced at Nico and seemed surprised to see him already looking at his face. Instead of looking away, though, he just smiled lightly, like there wasn't a reason not to. That thought made Nico want to laugh. "Your eyes are really…like obsidian." He said it so wistfully, as if it was something to swoon over. Blushing, Nico looked away, glancing over his shoulder as if expecting somebody to come and pull him out of this uncomfortable yet thrilling situation.

"This is all basic stuff. We don't really need to do this, if you don't want." Will said, and Nico's shoulders visibly relaxed. He wasn't a fan of fingers running over him, doctor or not. "If you want my shirt off that bad, you're gonna have to take on a date first, di Angelo." Will snickered. "I'm going go train. See you at dinner."

Nico watched as he nearly ran from the clearing. Nico frowned, unsure what exactly just happened. He knew he'd scare him away eventually, but that was one hell of a way of saying goodbye.

Nico's cheeks were still hotter than Hades.

. . .

Nico's palms were bleeding. His hands were tired and hurt, and so was his body. He trained with Leo, whose sword had been fire flowing around it, and the two superstars. Dealing with Jason was one thing. He flew around Nico faster than anyone before him. Then, Percy had more moves than he'd ever even heard of. Sure, Jason did, too, but the way with which Percy dealt each move made Nico sure he'd used it in a real life situation. It was ridiculous, but the energy flowing off him was unnerving.

Of course, Nico wasn't any untrained swordsman. He had more practice in slipping away than anything. All their competitions were different. Nico always excelled in Capture the Flag. He was the one who got the flag and handed it off. He would try and cross the designated line with it, but Percy was always much better when the numbers weren't in his favor. But he always got to it first. He slipped behind the shadows and lost anyone on his trail, sneaking up and stealing it before they even noticed.

However, in training, it wasn't that easy. Sparring was the best practice they had to sharpen their skills. Nico always needed work on his. His sword was powerful, but his muscles sometimes strained under, oh say for example, Jason's strong arms. Or Percy's. Or, if Frank felt like trying something new, his as well.

Jason helped Nico up off his back as Leo and Percy stepped into battle. "We get to rally with the girls soon." Nico wasn't terribly surprised to hear that. Jason laughed giddily. "They aren't going to know what hit them."

Nico rolled his eyes. "Don't underestimate them. If it's capture the flag, we're dead. Our best cavalry rider can hardly handle one jump over a creek. Hazel Levesque is one of the best in the nation, rivaling her partner Reyna."

Jason snorted. "Please. Percy can practically talk to horses. He knows how to distract them." Nico highly doubted that. If he was going to put his faith in Percy's knowledge of anything but fighting, he would forfeit then and there. "We get to use just about everything. Archers. Traps, thanks to Leo. And of course, our dashing good looks will stop them in their tracks."

Nico scoffed at that just around the time Percy threw Leo over his shoulder and onto his back with a triumphant grin. Percy, having heard their banter, came jogging over. He slung an arm around Jason. "It will be in the bag. My girlfriend is a badass, but we'll out muscle them."

Leo came bounding over, and it just occurred to Nico that he was actually having a conversation with his cabin mates. He didn't particularly like that idea. "I'm just in it to flirt with them. Plan of attack: you guys attack, I capture a girl or two, and we win. It's a two in one deal!"

Nico leaned heavily against his sword. His body was aching and all he wanted was to skip dinner and sleep in his room, without the constant snoring from Frank and Leo. "I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see you," he muttered and began packing up his gear. Just around that time, the horn signaling dinner blew.

"Don't you think it's weird that all of the scholarship kids are the best warriors here?" Leo spoke his thoughts as they settled down with food at the table. "It's like…the poor makes you stronger."

Frank's face twisted into anguish. "We aren't 'warriors,' Valdez. And more like our lack of funds make us work harder. Stronger…well that doesn't apply to you."

Leo scoffed. "I am actually average for my age group. If anyone's weak, it's Nico."

Nico sneered, "And yet I disarmed you every go." Leo flipped him off and sulked into his food. Will sat beside Nico suddenly, causing him to jump. He was close enough for their legs to be touching. Nico tried scooting over, but that would have meant falling off. He glanced at his plate and no longer felt hungry.

Nico clenched his hands overtop the table and tried to ignore the touchy boy sitting beside him. Every inch of his body was very aware of their legs touching. Will caught sight of his hands.

"Nico! What did you do?" Will grabbed his hand and yanked it into his face. Nico felt the urge to slap him. Will inspected his hands as if he had burned them to the bone.

"It happens when you don't practice for a month," Nico shrugged and yanked back his hand, clenching and unclenching them. He had the urge to add, ' _Why do you care?_ ' But he didn't. He was very aware of the eyes watching the display.

"You can't play like this on Friday!" Will gushed animatedly. Nico rolled his eyes and glanced at the fire.

"Well don't go ratting me out or our whole team with suffer," Nico hissed snarkly. He turned his glare onto the boy beside him. Despite Will being two inches taller than Nico, the intimidation rippling off Nico was visible. While he didn't cower in fear or even look away, his muscles relaxed with a glum nod.

"Just…stop if it hurts," Will insisted. "And I'm fixing them up every night. Got it?"

"You're not touching me."

"Yes, I am."

"No, you're not, Solace. Leave me alone."

"You're letting me fix them every night. Doctor's orders." Will said the words with such power, as if he held everything overtop of Nico's head, calling all the actions. Nico's eyes burned brightly with anger, but Will didn't back down. He grit his teeth.

"Fine."

The table had fallen silent. Nico turned his fiery glare on them, and they immediately burst into random conversation. Of course, it was Percy who blurted out the first thing on his mind. "Annabeth is hornier than me!"

One second of silence occurred before they all burst out into laughter. Nico, of course, only smirked, but the rest of the boys were clutching their stomachs. Percy smiled nervously.

"Yeah? I bet Frank doesn't have that problem, huh?" Leo nudged Frank, who made to punch him and forced Leo to dig into Jason's side.

"Hazel's a good kisser, okay?" Frank mumbled like a kicked puppy. Percy took that as a challenge.

"Well, Annabeth's boobs got bigger." Again, nobody spoke a word. They all stared incredulously at the boy with no filter or shame. He grinned, like it was a secret prize. "Yeah, we only saw each other once break– and I didn't really notice they got bigger. It's hard to judge naked versus in a regular shit and-,"

"You're telling me she didn't wear a shirt to hang up with you at all?" Jason frowned.

Percy's grin magnified. "Surprise visit. Do you want the details or are we clear what happened here?" Jason flashed him the 'okay' sign and he nodded. "Anyways, and then I saw her before we settled in – this time she was wearing a shirt."

"Wow, never would have guessed that," Nico mumbled.

"Yeahhhh," Percy cooed as his toes curled in his shoes.

Nobody knew what to say. Except Leo. He always had something to say. "Alright dude! Up top!"

Percy's smile fell. He shook his head and crossed his arms. "If Annabeth heard I high fived you over her rack, I'd never get to see it again. Not risking it."

Leo shrugged. "That happened to me once."

Now everyone laughed, even Nico a bit.

"I swear. I mean I never saw them naked. But one summer she was a B, barely even noticeable, and then she was a full C! Boom! Never looked at my cousin the same after that."

"Leo?" Nico choked.

"Yeah, dude?"

"That's just wrong."

"Okay, cousin is a loose term! We don't know for-,"

"Just wrong."

Jason leaned back and fell forward, drawing all attention on him. "Who did you hook up with over break?" He paused for the tension, to which Nico had the urge to laugh. Jason's eyes went wide and he said in a hurry, "Not a fucking soul! Thank you, thank you. I'm awesome."

"It's okay. Not everyone is as handsome as me." Leo pretended to dust off his shoulders.

"Oh, and you expect us to believe you got laid?" Percy asked.

"Well, no. But I kissed a girl!"

"And did she kiss back?" Frank asked. He didn't even give him time to respond. "No. I was there. Grabbing the back of her head and forcing your lips on hers? Very romantic."

"Alright, fuck everybody!" Leo cursed as he stomped away from the table.

Everyone else stood up, Percy and Jason laughing, Will still looking plain disgusted at Leo's story of his cousin. Nico had heard worse than possible incest stories. Not in that department, but it wasn't anything that made him queasy, like Will. In fact, seeing the blond little sun dangerously perching over a trashcan was amusing.

"You handled that well." Nico snorted as he passed by. A few seconds later, Will jogged to catch up to him.

"Hey, where are you going?"

Nico shrugged. "Campfires aren't my thing."

Will huffed indignantly. "Well, at least show up to the one Friday. You can get your girl-flirt on," he winked.

Nico rolled his eyes. "Not happening."

"Why not?"

Nico stopped in his step. Will's pestering ability had worn thin on the boy in black. He regarded Will carefully, as if planning on how to annihilate him. For the first time, Nico thought he saw a hint of fear flickering behind Will's bright eyes. He stumbled back a few inches before regaining his footing. Will opened and closed his mouth, waiting.

"Stop trying to include me. Nobody wants me there, including myself. Stop pestering me. Got it, Solace?" Nico spat out with venom in every word. Will blinked. Nico's stomach dropped, along with the air around them. He wasn't scared of him. Nico wasn't particularly intimidating, but when he was angry, he was angry. Everyone knew it. Will knew it; he just didn't care. It was even more infuriating.

When he decided the stunned boy wasn't going to speak, Nico continued on to their cabin. Just as he opened the door, Will's faint voice called back, "You're wrong, di Angelo. We all want you there. Stop hiding behind your paranoia and give us a shot."

Nico's head whipped around, but Will was already walking towards the glowing light of the fire. He gritted his teeth. The little glowing boy disappeared in the orange hue radiating from within the crowd of people, leaving Nico even more confused than before. He didn't understand Will Solace. He was too nice to him. Even if people weren't rude to Nico, they were never nice. Will was stubbornly nice, refusing to let Nico fall in on himself, even if it was all he wanted to do.

Stupid Solace.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm glad some of you like this story. If we can get five reviews, I'll update on Christmas Eve evening. If not, Merry Christmas and happy holidays! Leave me your thoughts and ideas about this story** **pleaseee!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Will had met a lot of people in his life. His mother made sure of that. Early on, he'd learned to read people. Not long after that, Will learned how to make other people happy. It was less about changing who he was than by learning how to say the right thing. For Nico, he was always treading on thin water about what was right and wrong to say. Sometimes, there was nothing right to say. He had a feeling whatever caused him to be so isolated was something that few ever had an answer to.

Will admitted Nico's insistence to shove him away was slightly intriguing. He didn't radiate darkness, as Connor and Travis Stoll had described when Will asked them the story behind Nico two days after he refused to go to the campfire. No, Will didn't think so. Nico's presence hadn't darkened their cabin. If anything, his snarky comments, however few, always made Will laugh. Nico was trapped, whether by purpose or on accident, under layers and layers of darkness.

Nico had been ignoring him for two days. Not just him. He rarely participated in conversation before, but now Will was almost sure Nico didn't even listen. On the contrary, Will was a determined guy. If Nico thought a little isolation was going to end all attempts to socialize with him, he'd never met Will Solace.

Will was talking to Selena and Beckendorf between training and dinner on the second day of Nico Isolation, or Tuesday. Selena technically wasn't supposed to be so far off her campus, but nobody patrolled before dinner. Besides, she had a damn good reason that she needed to see her best and very close friends. Meanwhile, Nico was coming back from his own training. Will shot up, eyes locked on his hands.

"Nico!" Will shouted, but he knew he wouldn't listen. He turned back to Selena and Beckendorf. "I've got to go deal with a obstinate patient. Sorry about the break up, Selena. You can do better."

"Listen to him, S," Beckendorf insisted as Will jumped to his feet and ran after him.

Selena, sniffling a bit, giggled. "More obstinate than you, Will? You're meant to be!"

Will caught up to Nico right outside their cabin. The weather was so beautiful today. The sun peeked out of the clouds at even intervals with a cool breeze blowing by. Of course Nico would be running for the shadows of their cabin.

"Nico, let me see your hands," Will grabbed his shoulder. Ear buds fell out of Nico's ears, and he spun around ready to attack. His hand was around Will's throat before he realized who it was.

"Don't touch me," he hissed with detest.

Will shoved down the wave of disappointment that ran through him at that comment. He didn't want to cause Nico discomfort. "May I please see your hands, Death Boy?"

Nico rolled his eyes as he continued on inside the cabin. Frank and Leo were already there as they tossed a ball back and forth. "Fuck off, Doctor Fix-It."

Will turned his gaze upon Leo and Frank, pleading for help. Leo snorted. "There was blood on his sword. Still beat me, but I didn't leave him unwounded!"

Will gasped and grabbed Nico's wrist. He hissed, like the boy had burned him, but Will held on tightly. Flipping his hand over, he found open blisters and stains of old blood, not yet dried. The blisters were oozing both liquids of blood and puss. He could see where the skin around it was beginning to tear open.

"Nico! You idiot!" Will screeched, his mind going over just how somebody ignored obvious signs of illness. Nico di Angelo – dumbest swordsman alive. "They were healing yesterday!"

Nico yanked his hand back in disgust. Will didn't even have the patience to feel embarrassed about letting that slip. "You – what?"

Frank snorted. "He can't help himself. If he sees something broken, he's going to fix it. You didn't even notice. You really can sleep like the dead."

"You are…" Nico seemed at a loss for words. He was so surprised that it blocked the rage boiling underneath. Will just grabbed his hand and began working on it. "That's beyond weird, Solace. You're medically insane, okay?"

"If I admit to it, can I patch up your hands? It will take three minutes," Will pleaded. He didn't know why this was so important to him. Maybe it was because he knew if he didn't do this, Nico certainly wouldn't.

"Sure, if you promise to stop touching me in my sleep," Nico jerked his hand. Will looked up with a tiny hint of a smile.

"You could have worded that better," Will snickered as he dealt with the damage that were Nico's hands. He was worried he'd have to deem him out of commission for this week's rally. He wouldn't listen, though.

"You could have not done it!" Nico cursed as Will spread ointment over the blisters. Will pursed his lips before deciding to lightly wrap his hands.

"I need to see them every day. Or I will check them out again in your sleep." Will threatened. Nico rolled his eyes and took his hands back. The horn blew for dinner. He sighed dejectedly. "After dinner, take the wrap off. I'd do it myself, but I'm sure you'll just skip the bonfire."

Nico huffed in acknowledgment, but he didn't say another word. He was silent all through dinner, as well. Will kept staring at him, trying to pull words from his mouth with his eyes. Nico kept sending him glares in return, but it didn't stop Will. He decided he wasn't phased by the boy. He knew he seemed to hate everything and everyone, but there was a reason behind it. Will was going to try and learn his past before he could deem him an unstable friend.

. . .

"So it's capture the flag tomorrow against the girls," Will said at dinner on Thursday, looking with emphasis at Nico. He continued staring down at his oatmeal. He had one ear bud in and his hood up. Will wondered if he listened to other bands aside from the Death Boys. Obviously, he did, but were they similar? Will loved music, even if his voice was only slightly bearable. Will could listen to anything, and did all the time. Nico didn't seem like the type to broaden his music taste. "Gameplan anyone?"

"How many players are allowed?" Percy asked.

"Four swordsmen. Two Archers. One extra."

Leo nodded nonchalantly and scanned the faces opposite to him before landing finally on Nico. "So…uh, what about Luke? He's really good with a sword."

Percy pounded on the table. "He also failed two grades. Of course he's a little better."

"You're just worried Annabeth's not-,"

"She's over him!" Percy yelled loud enough for the nearest table to turn their gazes on him. His tensed muscles relaxed slightly by force. "Look, I like the guy. His situation sucks, but if he's too old to play in the real tournament, I don't think unleashing him on the girls is fair."

Frank grimaced. "He's right. It's meant to get the team ready for competition anyways."

Will's jaw dropped open. "Who were we going to boot out in the first place? No way is a swordsman going in as our extra!" Nobody would meet his eyes directly, but they were all shooting uncomfortable glances at the end of the table across from Will. Nico. Who had no ear buds in. Will felt personally offended. "Nico is so much better than Leo! Take him out if anyone!"

"Hey!" Leo grumbled. "I won yesterday!"

"What? How?"

Again, nobody wanted to speak. They continued sneaking peeks at Nico until finally his hood fell off and he looked up with dead, emotionless eyes. The dark boy looked directly at Will through his lashes, his whole body hunched over the table like in pain. "I couldn't…grip the sword."

Hesitantly, he flashed them his hands. Everyone but Will, who had been seeing to his wounds nightly, gasped and jumped away. Percy looked ill. But then Will took a closer look. He saw that somehow, overnight, Nico managed to rub his hands and took away all the progress the blisters had made towards closing. They were deeper and worse. "Nico, what did you do?" He moved locks of obsidian black from his eyes and muttered something inaudible under his breath. "Nico."

"I climbed a tree and fell last night, okay?"

Will frowned. "But after the campfire…" It dawned on him. "You snuck out."

"With the harpies on the prowl until one in the morning? How?" Frank sounded offended rather than impressed. Percy had a look of respect on his face, which unsettled Will.

Nico shrugged. His eyes flashed to Will's, and for some reason, the dark rings under his eyes matched with the blank gaze spoke to him. Nico couldn't sleep last night. Will's stomach twisted in worry. He was sleeping right beside the man, and he didn't even notice Nico didn't get an hour of sleep? What kind of friend was he? He felt disgusted.

"Nico, I'm not sure if you can play with these hands," Will hated to say it, but he couldn't let him become even worse. No sleep alone was enough to have him worried about Nico in battle. But to lose to Leo? At least Leo had tricks up his sleeve, and was often mainly used as a distraction. But Nico only had skill and blending in, neither of which would go well with a wounded and sluggish boy.

Nico laughed a laugh that drained all energy and happiness from a field of daisies. His cold, empty laugh chilled Will to the bones. The temperature seemed to drop twenty degrees. Nico's glare fell upon Will solely and then branched out to the rest of them.

"Don't worry about it. You'll lose either way," Nico hissed as he stood over the stable, hatred rippling off him. He turned in a heat and walked away, passing the cabin and not stopping. Will gaped at everyone.

"I did it again. I said the wrong thing. Again." Will muttered with horror.

Jason let out a sigh. "No, you didn't. Nico reaches out and grabs onto the first thing that sounds like a sign we hate him."

Will finally realized it. Nico didn't have an enemy, not currently. In simple terms, Nico was his own enemy, and it was killing him.

Hmph. That wasn't going to fly with Will.

. . .

Will wasn't acting normal. That much was clear. He didn't sing along to the songs, not that everyone always did, but Will did. He was sitting beside Cecil and Charles Beckendorf, two of his old cabin mates. Honestly, the switch wasn't bad. He'd talked to all his new cabin mates before. Sure they seemed to have a tight-knit group of four, but they were as welcoming as he'd expected.

"So who are the new snorers?" Cecil asked. "Do they keep you up at night?"

Will shook out of his deep thoughts, all revolving around Nico and how to get through to him. "Uh, Frank and Leo, but I hardly notice."

"How come? I wasn't loud enough to permanently make you ignore someone's as big as Frank's," Beckendorf pestered. Will shook his head.

"No," he sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Nico di Angelo sleeps next to me. Sometimes he wakes up screaming."

"Ew, shitty luck choosing who to sleep beside," Cecile said. Will frowned.

"I love sleeping beside him!" Will protested. Heat flooded his cheeks when he realized how that sentence was a little off. Beckendorf burst into laughter.

"Does Nico think the same?" he asked through chortles. Will rolled his eyes.

"That's a strong no."

"Aw, that's why you're sad. Cheer up. You'll find someone," Cecil patted him on the back. Will looked at him strangely, like he had two heads. "What?"

"It's not like that! Nico's probably straig – the point is that I don't know what's wrong. He won't let me help him. I hate it." Will ground out as he glumly tossed a stick into the fire.

Cecil, trying to keep the conversation light as usual, joked, "Hey, your old friend Selena's free now."

Will didn't even have to hit the boy. Beckendorf already beat him to it. "Selena isn't some rebound. Get out of here, Cecil." Cecil stood up laughing, holding his hands up in surrender. Beckendorf spoke to Will in a more gentle voice, but there'd always be an edge to the gruff, deep tone he spoke with. "You're not thinking about Selena seriously, right?"

Through tired eyes, Will looked up at the large, seemingly intimidating guy. Truthfully, most people were scared of him. Percy wasn't. They were old friends. Will wondered how many people he'd come across that most people saw him as crazed for not being scared by them. Nico was an easy one, though. Beckendorf took some convincing to unstiffen his muscles around him. Nico was a powerful fighter and a scary dude in general, but Will was too worried for him to be scared.

"When was the last time I even thought about getting into a relationship?" he scoffed. "Besides, nobody is ever going to come near Selena again after what you did to Luke."

"That's practically illegal," Beckendorf spat at the ground with hostility. He sighed and looked at Will's smaller frame. "But I know that. I understand not wanting to deal with relationships. It's a little naïve at times, with the wrong person. Except…that's not why you don't date. You haven't even had a deep liking for anyone, have you?"

"I like everyone." Will shrugged.

Beckendorf patted him on the back with a knowing grin that unsettled Will's stomach. "Not what I meant," he muttered. "What's up with Nico then? The dreams?"

Will groaned. "I have no idea. Whatever happened was…terrible. And I can't help him."

"Can't help everyone."

"Can't I just help him, then?" Will cursed as he sat up. "Now, I've said the wrong thing twice and-,"

" _You_ said the wrong thing? How?"

"I'm worried about him," Will confessed. He glanced over at the rest of his cabin mates. Frank was trying to devise a plan without Percy screwing it up since he was adamant about participating. Leo was stoking the fire, not a care in the world. And Will felt sick. He felt sick for how easily they let Nico fade away.

Beckendorf nudged him. "I see that vengeful look in your eyes, Solace. Don't blame them. Most guys aren't thicker than an iron wall. If they aren't worried, it doesn't mean there's nothing to worry about."

Will pushed his anger down. He was right. Besides, he was the one who really tipped Nico's pot. "Thanks, Beckendorf. I think I have an idea how to help him."

Beckendorf grinned. "That's the spirit."

Will ran inside the main building to the familiar infirmary. He'd planned on just getting many bandages and a tight wrap. But then the nurse stopped him. "Will Solace, we've missed you in here the last month."

Will blushed, remembering how he'd quit so suddenly the day before break. "Sorry. I'm on full scholarship now. My schedule is kind of busy."

Hygienia was a demanding nurse. She grew a frown. "Do you think you could help out after all the war games then? I'm great with staying healthy, but healing isn't my specialty…"

Will's ribcage contrasted. He was desperate to get out of there and test out his solution. "Uh, yeah. I've missed it here." He was being truthful. Hygienia's eyes lit up.

"Wonderful! If you're using those, remember to disinfect them again since you've touched them!"

Will was almost running out the door and into his cabin. When he pushed open the door, Nico's figure on the bed didn't move. His back was to Will, and he was taking even breaths. Will's feet stopped on his mission. Sadness enraptured his heart at seeing the broken boy curled in a ball, trying to keep himself attached like a broken puzzle. Will sat on his own bed, staring.

Faint moonlight filtered in through the window, hitting Nico's form. His raven dark hair was even more disheveled. Will could imagine him storming in here, clutching his hair to keep his anger subdued. Or maybe his tears. Will's throat clenched. Nico wore the same clothes he had been wearing earlier to spar in, but he was above the covers. His pale face was mainly hidden, but the way the moon shimmered off his cheek was almost mesmerizing. Will's hand reached out and carefully moved a strand of soft hair out of his eyes.

"How could anyone not want you around?" Will murmured. When he realized he was touching him again, he jerked his hand back and nodded to himself. There was a task to be done. Carefully, Will tried on the wrist wrap, which covered the majority of his palm. He walked to the wall where Nico's sword was propped against. Will grasped it by the hilt, surprised at its weight. Could Nico really hold such a thing and swing with power? Will supposed he could be hiding muscles under his shirt, but it still felt heavy.

He flexed his hand and smiled slightly when he barely felt anything against his own palm. This would be the only way Nico could –

A sharp pain spread suddenly across his back. Will gasped and fell to his knees. Suddenly, a hand was pulling his head back and had a cold blade pressed to his neck. Will recognized it to be the blade he was just holding.

"Want to try touching my stuff again?" Nico's words ripped through Will's ear, a heated breath lingering along his neck. Will's breathing sped up, but he refused to show it. He knew Nico wouldn't hurt him. Or he hoped.

Carefully so as not to rupture his skin, Will shook his head no. Nico released his grip and shoved him to the ground. Will looked up at Nico, unsure what he'd do next. Nico stared back at him, analyzing and scrutinizing just alike. His lips curled in his anger, and he was breathing heavy.

But then he stomped past Will to the showers, leaving him panting on the ground.

Will was shocked. For a moment, he thought he was going to actually hit him. Or worse, use his sword on him. Nico had never been so passionately angry to anyone before. Will was positive about that. He'd never looked at someone with so much emotion, aside from Percy. Will remembered seeing an even tinier Nico seething at Percy with all his might. Will had thought he hated him. But over time, the two became civil again. Still, that look in his eye was unforgettable and previously thought to be unrepeatable.

Will had personally proved that wrong.

* * *

 **A/N: Of course there's like no responses on this story. I literally forgot to update for like weeks. So sorry. I get sidetracked a lot. For the last update of the year, can we reach 5 reviews on one chapter? That is one of my resolutions - to get more feedback on this story! I know you people want some Solangelo and I personally like what I've done with them here. Does anyone else? No? Okay...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot.**

* * *

In the haze of the morning, Nico felt suffocated. His hands were wrapped tightly and squeezed even more. It felt like he was tied down, and that didn't settle well for him. In an instant, he knew who did this. The fresh, white bandages sticking out of the black ACE wrist brace gave him away. Nico sat up, and then he pounced.

His hands curled around Will's neck and his legs kept his lower body immobile, not that the kid tried to move anyways. His eyes shot open, and he just stared with minor surprise. Nico snarled and shook a hand in his face, "Don't you understand? I said no touching!"

A throat cleared and Nico's head whipped up. All four boys were watching Nico. Heat ran through him, but he only hardened his glare and turned back to Will. His mouth was open like he was going to speak, but the boy wouldn't say a word. Nico gave him one last shove against the bed and push off.

His hands began to rip off the elastic brace. "Wait!" Will choked out, lunging for his hand. Nico ripped it away and Will fell face first on his bed. He scrambled to his feet, panting in front of Nico. "Those should let you hold you sword with less…pain," he wheezed, hands clutching his throat. Nico frowned.

And then it made sense. Last night, he was testing the 'gloves' out for himself. Skeptical, Nico grabbed his sword and swung is lightly. It felt different, much less stable than he was used to. His hands didn't wrap around the hilt perfectly like they normally did. But, he could thrust with power and not drop his sword from pain.

He didn't say anything. Nico didn't know what to say. He looked at Will, who had been watching him with his breath held. Nico caved. "It's slippery."

The crazed boy grew a bright smile. "Put maple syrup on it!"

"Shut up, Percy," Jason hissed.

Will flushed and looked at Nico's hands, gesturing to ask if it was okay to touch them. Rolling his eyes, Nico let him. Will twisted his hand, analyzing it. At one point, his fingers skimmed over Nico's. He had been freezing before, but now it felt like the sun came and kissed his entire body with painful heat. It was a good pain, though, something he hadn't felt in so long. Nico didn't pull away this time. He couldn't force himself to.

Will's cheeks seemed a little red, but Nico was sure it was from him almost choking him. "Leo can attach some grips, right Leo?" Will looked expectantly. Leo was watching so intensely he didn't realize he was being spoken to. "Leo."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sticky grips. I'll get on that," he said. Nico nodded and pulled off the brace. Underneath, white bandages were wrapped tightly. He stared at the black wrap in thought. ACE didn't sell black elastic braces. Will had personally painted them somehow. Nico's heart pumped loudly. Nobody had ever done something like that for him. "Uh, can I have the gloves?"

Nico didn't hear him. He continued looking at the braces, and then at Will. His blue eyes shone brightly in the morning rays. The sunlight glistened off his blonde hair like gold, framing his tan face. When Nico looked at him, two thoughts bounced around inside his head. Will somehow managed to look intelligent and slightly mischievous while also giving off the kind and caring look. It was his nose, Nico decided. His small nose gave him an almost pixie-like look, but Will carried it well. His jaw line was more defined than it had been when Nico had first glanced across his face in freshman orientation. Nico also couldn't get over his skin. It ran across his body in an even tan, lighter than caramel but darker than sand on a beach. It made his toned muscles stand out, and…and Nico was staring.

"Thanks, Solace," Nico muttered, looking up slightly at him with a sincere expression, trying his best to hide the blush pushing at his own cheeks. He turned to Leo and tossed him the black braces.

Leo scratched his head, frowning. "Uh, where did you get these?"

Will shrugged. "Clinic."

"And they were black?"

"Can you fix them or not?"

"Yeah…" Leo still sounded confused, but it wasn't that hard to figure out what Will did. Nico fell back on the bed, watching everyone get ready and trying to sort out his own mind. Will was the last to get ready, deliberately tying, undoing, and then retying his shoes multiple times.

"Need help there?" Nico snorted.

Will beamed at him with his smile that made Nico's heart weak. He hated his infatuation with that boy. Of all his secrets, it was his most shameful one. Will would definitely leave him alone if he knew Nico was gay. Nico wasn't sure why he didn't just tell him to get the older kid off his back. He just couldn't find it in himself.

"No, thanks, though." Will sat on his bed. "Aren't you coming?"

Nico looked at Will like he hadn't heard the question. "Why did you do that for me?"

Will's smile didn't waver. "I want you on our team, Nico. You're good and have earned every right to be there tonight."

Nico narrowed his eyes. "Explain the black then."

Will wasn't even embarrassed about his answer. "I knew you disliked anything other than black. Best chance at keeping them on your hands. Kind of badass, huh?"

Nico couldn't help the small smile the treated his lips. "Yes, very badass." He sobered up quickly, as always. Will sensed an unspoken question and waited, patient as ever. "Why do you want me on the team anyways?"

Nico swore he could have seen him blush as he scratched the back of his head. "You're my friend, even if you won't admit it. I'd rather you be on the team than Percy or any of them."

Nico didn't understand his words. It was like when you divided by zero on a calculator. Instantly, it said error and didn't understand what you wanted to do. Nico didn't understand what he meant. How it could be true? But looking into Will's eyes, he found it only had to be true. He was looking with such longing, pleading for Nico not to walk away.

"That's a little rude, Solace," Nico's lips raised in a smirk. Will grinned back at him. He reached forward and shoved his shoulder. Nico resisted the urge to shy away from his hand.

"I'm not talking about the team anymore and you know it," Will protested. Despite himself, Nico smiled. He enjoyed seeing Will so flustered. His rosy cheeks and eyes darting around the room was almost cute. It hurt not to smile in that moment. Will gasped and pointed to his face. "You smiled! Yousmiledyousmiledyousmiled!"

Nico rolled his eyes. "Is it a crime?"

"You always act like it is!" Will jumped to his feet in excitement. Nico groaned as he got up.

"Okay, Sunshine, calm down." Nico stepped around him and pulled off his shirt without warning. Instantly, the jumping stopped. Grabbing a shirt, Nico turned around to see what got into him. Will was staring at Nico with a look in his eyes that Nico hadn't ever seen before. "What?"

Will stepped forward. "You – uh, you have tattoos?"

Nico glanced down. Over his chest and arms, he had a ton of tattoos. They were all black against his white skin. Skulls and bones scattered over his body. Dark lines swirled into jagged points. Lines written in ancient Greek. Black flames licking up his biceps, taking over silhouettes of bodies. Skulls with broken angel wings behind them. He had more skin than ink, but there was a fair amount of ink.

But the noticable tattoo was on his back, written in red ink. It was something he couldn't see, something he didn't have to be reminded of. Blended into the black designs was one name.

"Bianca."

The emotion with which Will said her name was more than anyone reading a name should have. Nico's throat closed up. It became harder to breathe without busting at his seams. Nico jerked his head in a nod.

Will's eyes followed along the rest of his designs. "How did you get so many?"

Nico sighed. "I started drawing them when I was in middle school. Freshman year came along and, one by one, I got them."

Will stayed silent, still looking at his body. Nico grew uncomfortable with the heat trails he left on his body. "You drew all these?"

"The bigger ones and the ghostly mist design. The small ones are just tiny things that jumped out to me."

Nico could see it. Will wanted so badly to reach out and touch him. His hands twitched. Nico had an urge to let him, but he was unsure if he could hide his feelings what with the boy's hands all over him. With red cheeks and a grunt of dismay, he pulled on a shirt. Will seemed to snap out of some sort of trance, but his eyes only jerked up to Nico's. He wished he wouldn't stare at him like that, like he knew what his shirt was hiding. Of course, he did know now. Nico cursed under his breath. That face…it was smug and attractive as hell.

"I write songs."

Nico shrugged off his pants as he rummaged through his drawers. He paused and tried to envision the smiling, cheerful blonde boy sitting behind him and writing songs. "Are they any good?"

"I doubt it. If I could sing, they'd sound better. The lyrics are depressing, too."

Nico pulled on a pair of skinny black jeans with more holes than material. He smirked. "What do you write about? The pain when the string of your bow stings your arm?"

He looked at Will, waiting on the chance to tease him for his answer. Will pressed a thumb to his chin in thought. "Not really, though I'll consider that. I don't write about my mother being the town whore, walking in on her having sex with my eighth grade principal, or even simply my father walking out on me when I was five weeks old. I just write about…blurred emotion. Which seems to make up half of your tattoos."

Nico's eyes briefly scanned his to search for the truth, but he knew it was there. Will didn't lie, even for a joke. It didn't make sense to Nico. Will was so happy all the time. How could that not affect him? How could that not shape him into somewhat less of an optimist? Nico didn't know what to say. These situations were exactly why he avoided people. He had no idea what to say. At this point, almost anything would be the wrong thing to say.

With a heavy sigh, Nico sat directly beside Will, something he'd never willingly done before. He pressed his elbows into his knees and looked up at Will. He didn't look smug, like he had said that to prove to Nico that the golden boy did know pain. Though, Nico already knew that. He just chose to forget about it. It was easier to shove down his emotions for him that way.

"Can I ask you something?" Nico whispered, his voice raw.

"Anything," Will said.

"How do you do it?" Nico strained to ask. He felt his walls crumbling by every breath, but he had to know. "How do you shut out the pain?"

Will eyes darted between Nico's. "I don't shut it out." He sighed. "I'd grown up knowing about my mom, but I also knew why she did it. Her attempts at escaping the memories of my father were futile in the end. I could see it. So when I walked in on my principle and her, I decided not to be like her, to just not let things get to me. So far, they haven't. Not even you, di Angelo."

Nico could tell it was the truth. The way Will carried himself was more impressive than the jokes Leo hid behind, the obliviousness of Percy, the uncertainty of Jason, or the lost look of Frank. Contrary to what Nico originally believed, Will wasn't the classic kid from a perfectly happy family. Nothing was wrong with that, but in his experience, it was those kids who shunned him. If they didn't shun him, he'd give them a week before he let one of his dark secrets slip and expose his damaged side. It scared them off immediately. Of course, he was sure he could still scare him off.

"I wish I could do that." Nico muttered dejectedly. It was another reason not to be friends with Will. He was so much better than him.

A warm sensation appeared on Nico's leg. It was Will's hand. "Talk about it, even if it hurts. When you say it out loud, it looses some of the power it holds over your mind." His eyes were trembling. "You can talk to me anytime, you know that right? It doesn't have to be me, of course, but…know that I'd help you in any way."

Pain seared through Nico's head at the notion of telling Will why he had left school early, why nobody liked him, why he was so scared of having friends. "Thank you, Will." Nico sighed and let his head hang. "I c-can't n-now, but…maybe."

Will didn't smile, and it was more comforting to Nico in that moment than his smile of the sun. Nico didn't need to see his happiness. He needed to see he was normal, he was there, and that Nico didn't have to smile, that it was okay not to. And it was.

"Will?"

"Yes?"

"Your hand is on my thigh," Nico brought to attention the other aspect making him blush. Will frowned, as if not knowing where his hand was.

"What, does my touch disgust you?" Will teased. Nico rolled his eyes.

"No," he hissed. In a tiny voice, "That's the problem."

Will frowned, "What did you say?"

Nico blushed and looked down at his hands. "Will?"

"Oh, right," he laughed nervously and pulled his hand away. "So Bianca -,"

Before he could finish the dreaded sentence, their door swung open. Percy dashed inside with an arm full of food, falling on his bed out of breath. The three other boys ran inside laughing, all looking quite mischievous, Leo more so than before.

The two boys on the bed jumped apart, both startled. "You're welcome, slow pokes! We brought the food to you!"

"Just because it's game day," Jason insisted, looking more upset than the rest about their decision. "You guys need your energy. Especially you, Nico."

He threw his arms up. "Do I look like I eat nothing to you?"

Will coughed by his side, "Nope." The other boys shrugged, though. "Nah, guys, he's got muscles. He just hides them. Now whether he uses them or not…"

"I will end you, Solace," Nico, with a display of ease, shoved Will off his bed and tumbling over his own. Will burst into cheeky laughter, and Nico's glare hardened. He ignored the bubbling in his stomach. It wasn't there.

"See?"

. . .

Last period, Apollo stopped Nico and Will before they left the classroom. "Will, would you mind not teaching the class for me? It looks bad."

Will grinned. "When it speaks to me, it speaks to me. Besides, make it a little harder next time. Even Nico is doing well in here."

Nico grumbled under his breath. Apollo laughed and looked between the two. "You guys are playing the girls tonight, right?" They nodded. "Don't underestimate them. My sister teaches archery and survival training there. Her traps are…insane."

"Traps?"

Apollo hissed under his breath, "She once held me in a net for two days high above the forest ground before I gave back her favorite knife."

This time, even Nico laughed a bit. "We'll be careful."

"One more thing," Apollo sighed. "It sounds like they don't have any main archers. One is both an archer and swordsman. She's the trapper, as well. I'd watch out for her. Thalia."

"That's Jason's sister. We know plenty about her," Will agreed.

Apollo grinned much to wide. "If you want to distract her, ask her about when I let her drive our car."

Nico grimaced. "I remember. I didn't know that was you." Will frowned. "Thalia claimed 'He's hot.'" Nico rolled his eyes. Will snorted and burst into laughter.

"We'll keep that in mind," he said goodbye as they got along their way. The game was set for right after classes ended, with ten minutes to warm up and prepare. Will nudged him as they walked. "Do you agree?"

"What?"

"That Apollo is hot. Do you agree?"

Nico frowned. "I don't know. Why do you care?"

He shrugged. "I kind of look like him," Will grinned. "Who's hotter?"

Nico didn't answer.

"Who?"

"Will."

"Me?"

"No. Will, as in shut up."

"Aw, you know it's me," Will wrapped an arm around Nico's shoulder. With a groan, Nico stuck an ear bud in his ear and was prepared to put the other in to drown out Will's loud moth, but then the boy stole it from him.

"Good song. Who's hotter?"

"You, dammit, now shut up!" Nico shouted, wanting nothing more than to listen to his song. The word just slipped out of his mouth. After all, it was the truth. He didn't lie very often. He risked a glance at Will, and found the boy's smile was so wide it surely had to be breaking his face.

"Thanks, you're not so bad yourself, Death Boy. Now let's go beat some girls," Will chirped excitedly and sped them up on their way to the woods. Nico tried to fight off the blush that burned his cheeks. Will was too touchy. Will was too forward. He tried to keep his hopes down that he was into guys. The odds of having a gay roommate weren't in his favor. Nico didn't get lucky. He wasn't going to think like that.

Besides, it wasn't as if he'd never heard Percy compliment Jason, and he knew very well that Percy was completely straight, and Jason, too. Nico shook his head of the hopes.

Besides, Will annoyed him too much for Nico to be with him.

* * *

 **A/N: Ah! SO many great responses! Thank you guys! I really was scared people either didn't like this story or the fandom was dead. And it better not be dead! I'd love to see SIX reviews again!**

 **So who can guess what's going on with each couple? Percabeth? Jason and Piper or Jason and Reyna? Hazel and Frank? A big thing coming for one of them. Tell me your thoughts!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot.**

* * *

The game started out well. The boys decided to split up. Will was placed on defense with Frank. They placed the flag on a tall mound in the forest so the archers should have been able to pick off anyone who came near them.

Leo was the distraction, placing traps here and there as he ran. Percy and Jason took the blunt of the fighting, working their way towards the flag together. Nobody should have seen Nico.

Nico was going around the sides, jumping through the shadows. He was, after all, lean enough to hide behind most of the trees. It wasn't until he slipped across the river – the midway point – that he had any trouble. Nico's grips didn't like getting wet. Even so, his hands had begun to ache at this point. He wasn't one to complain, though, and kept going.

He caught a glimpse of some of the girls. One of them had curly blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. Annabeth Chase. She and a girl with caramel skin and choppy hair were battling Jason and Percy. A horse flashed across his vision so fast he didn't get to see the rider, but he already knew it was Hazel. She slashed at Percy and he stumbled a bit, giving Annabeth an edge. Nico cursed under his breath. He needed to get to the flag fast. He had no doubt Leo was already captured.

When he neared their flag, he frowned. Nobody was guarding it. It was sitting in a small clearing, directly in the middle. Nico almost stepped out of the shadows when he heard her.

"Come out, boy!" A bold voice called out into the night. She appeared on the opposite side of the flag. She had dark hair and honey skin, with a look ready to kill. So Thalia must have been going after the flag with one other girl. For a second, Nico worried about Will…and their defenses. An archer versus and archer proposed a deadly wound. Of course, they had rules on these things. Archers were only allowed to shoot stun arrows, but they hurt enough to put the person down for the rest of the game.

Nico stepped out from behind the tree, sword at the ready. His glare fixated on the girl. She was taller than him and looked quite strong. Nico didn't let that intimidate him, though. He walked calmly toward her, and she met him half way.

"Sure you want to take me on, Olympian?" she snarled. Nico didn't answer. He readjusted his grip on his sword and advanced.

The girl was good. She parried his slashes and dodged his jabs. When she landed a blow on his armor, it threatened to knock the breath out of him. But Nico learned her style quickly.

One second, he was blocking, and the next he was behind her, a blade pressed to her throat. She held her arms up, dropping the blade. Her eyes told him it wasn't over, and Nico knew exactly that. He kicked her legs out from under her and slammed his hilt into her armor over her sternum. Nico could feel her breath leave her.

He dashed for the flag and escaped, running in search of Percy. He'd slowed when he saw Percy and Jason. Annabeth was slowly tying them up. The two other girls were nowhere to be seen.

"Annabeth! He's got the flag!" The girl shouted from behind him.

"Little busy boasting to my boyfriend here, Reyna!" Annabeth called back smugly.

Nico burst into a sprint again, but Annabeth wasn't the one who intercepted him. Just as the river came into his vision, a girl glowing under the moonlight stood side by side with the caramel-skinned girl from earlier. From not far behind him, Percy and Jason were mumbling shouts, and Nico turned around just in time to meet Reyna's sword with his own.

He gasped as their swords clashed. Reyna had a fire in her eyes that rivaled Nico's. He grit his teeth and fought hard, but then he became outnumbered. When the girl glowing in the moonlight began to sing, it clouded his mind. Then, the caramel-skinned girl came charging at him from the side. Trying to take on two, Nico fell back over a root. Reyna's sword came racing for him. He raised his own to block it, and she only put more force into it at the sight.

But then the unthinkable happened.

When her sword hit his, Nico's hands screamed in pain, and it fell out of his hands. Reyna's blade hit him with full force. Nico felt a searing pain slice into his head, forcing his helmet to fall off. Reyna didn't stop there, not realizing his helmet had fallen off – an understood rule of defeat among their rally so as not to harm anyone for the real competition. He even saw the recognition, a second too late, flash across her eyes. Her hilt was already back and swung directly into Nico's temple.

Everything got fuzzy very fast. He stared at Reyna with awe. "Good…match," he mumbled as the darkness seeped into his vision. Reyna went pale, and her scared face was the last thing he saw before he passed out into the unknown.

. . .

Agonizing pressure pounded relentlessly into his head. Nico was utterly exhausted. All he wanted was to sleep, but this pain was horrible. He forced his eyes open in hopes it would leave him. Alas, it only increased with the bright lights.

"He's awake!" It was a girl's voice. He wasn't used to hearing many girl voices. For a moment, it sounded like Bianca's. Nico cringed at that. "He's in pain."

"Not surprising, thanks to you," a gruff voice growled with resentment. Nico's nerves perked at the sound. He knew that voice. He liked that voice.

"I didn't see his helmet was off!" The girl spoke again and Nico realized it wasn't his sister's voice. It was Reyna, the girl who'd beaten him.

Nico looked around. Reyna was sitting at his side. A golden blonde god was hovering over him, shining light into his eyes. Nico hissed in pain. The god smiled, and Nico remembered just who that was. "Solace," he said through clenched teeth. Will smiled, but it was different from his normal cheeky smile. Will seemed relieved.

"Gods, Nico, don't scare me like that!" Will pulled him into a breath-taking hug. Nico was unsure if he couldn't breathe because of his tight embrace or because of the numbing, tingling sensation rushing into him.

"Will, you're crushing him!" Hazel's voice called out. Will released him immediately, a wave of guilt rushing across his face. Nico coughed, hoping to hide the blush with presumed lack of air. "He doesn't even liked to be touched. Aren't you supposed to be doing doctor stuff?"

Will paled. "Right. I am."

Nico clutched his head as he sat up. He glanced around and thought maybe he'd passed out a second time in Will's arms. Now there were six girls staring at him. "I don't know any of you."

"Sure you do," the familiar blonde stepped forward. "How hard did you hit him, Reyna?"

She was still sitting by his side. Though her lips pulled upward in a smirk, Nico could tell she was still worried about his mental state. Will looked very flustered. "Can I please have the patient's focus?"

A girl with black hair snorted. He knew her to be Thalia, though he'd never met her before. "Don't lose your temper, pretty boy. He keeps looking back at you anyways."

Nico's glare hardened. "Why are they in here!?"

Will shrugged. "Percy and Jason are recovering from their own wounds. Leo is still untangling himself from the rope. And Frank is out handling Hazel's horse."

"Do you remember what happened?" Annabeth asked. "Memory loss is the worst."

Nico scowled. "Yeah, I remember. Two against one and my hands…" He glanced at his hands and winced. They were bloody and raw. Will gasped and instantly grabbed one. "Some doctor…"

"You said not to touch you in your sleep!"

Nico shrugged. Hazel pushed in front of the crowd of girls, glaring again at Will. "Where's the real doctor?"

Will smirked. "I'm the best we have. Nurse Hygienia is only good for maintenance. Don't worry, it looks like he is only a little concussed."

Nico frowned as Will continued his tests. Hazel kept staring worriedly at Will. Nico couldn't stand her deep frown. "It's alright. He's as stuck up as a regular doctor."

Will scoffed. "And you're as rude as a regular patient." He lifted a hand and winced again, though Nico could tell it wasn't out of disgust. His stomach churned looking at his hands. The blisters were worse than ever, oozing more blood than before. "I actually studied under Apollo over the summer at the hospital he worked at. He's an ER doctor who just enjoys teaching. Who knew?"

All the girls groaned. "Yes, Artemis loves to complain about that. All the time." The caramel-skinned girl groaned. "I'm Piper, by the way. And you did well against two girls."

"Gee, thanks," Nico muttered, squishing himself back further into the bed. He hated so many eyes on him. "If you're going to play doctor, can't you boot them all out, Solace?"

"Hey, what did we do to you?" Thalia protested. She nudged the unnamed girl. "She can even help wrap his other hand."

Will didn't seem to like somebody stepping into his territory, but he nodded curtly. Nico raised an eyebrow. He'd never seen Will not smile at somebody. The loss must have been pretty personal. Nevertheless, the girl did a good job. "I'm Calypso, by the way."

Will faltered. "You're the one who caught Leo?" She stared him in the eye, as if searching for disbelief. She nodded. Will forced a false smile to his lips as his eyes watched her hands work. "Thanks. Somebody needed to do that."

Despite his pulsing head, Nico glanced around Calypso, who was nearly finished with his hand, and looked at the rest of the girls. "Who beat Will then?"

Will squeezed his wrist a little too tightly. "Nobody. I was tying Thalia up when Hazel distracted Frank and stole the flag." Nico's face must have been priceless because Will laughed in bemusement. "Don't act so surprised. You're the one who passed out, here."

"Because your shitty gloves didn't hold out," Nico muttered as he got his hands back to himself. Just out of spite, "Calypso's wrap was better."

"Open your mouth one more time, di Angelo, I swear!" Will cursed. He huffed and straightened, a red blush forming on his cheeks. He looked to the girls. "Apollo is coming down to check my work, so please stop staring at me like you're planning my murder, Hazel. Also, I need you all to leave for this part of the check up."

Nico feigned concern. "But what if you touch me in my private places!?"

"Nico!" Will shouted. Nico had never seen him so flustered before. He didn't know where these comments were coming from, but after his head was pounding, he didn't worry about scaring off these girls. He figured he already did. Besides, Will was practically at his disposal and Nico wasn't about to let him slip free of that.

Reyna sighed and stood up. "I really didn't mean to hit you."

Nico grinned. "I know. If it weren't for Piper, I would have beaten you, just so you know."

Reyna snorted. "Okay, how much pain medication did you give him? He's delusional." Will tapped his foot impatiently, arms crossed. "What, do we distract him too much?"

Nico almost burst out into laughter. Will raised an eyebrow. "I just think he'd rather have some privacy for the physical examination."

Hazel didn't seem to completely trust Will. "Is this really allowed? I think that's an invasion of privacy."

Nico groaned. "I'd rather have him do it than Apollo," he muttered purely to get them out. Then he realized he spoke the truth. The idea of Apollo seeing him shirtless made Nico's body stiffen. Will, on the other hand, had already seen most of his body.

Hazel's cheeks flushed red as she fanned her face. "Fine. If you're well, I'll see you at dinner. If not, I'll come say goodbye before I leave." She rested her hand momentarily on his, and then they all filed out.

Will busied himself running around the room and filling out a chart. He wouldn't look at Nico. Finally, he decided to break the silence. "What's the diagnosis?"

Will looked up with a small smile. "You need some rest. We'll let Apollo decide how long, but I'd suggest at least three days in here."

Nico's eyes went wide.

"Or in our cabin. I could watch over you." Will shrugged as he pulled out a professional-looking stethoscope. "Shirt off." Nico frowned. "Come on, let me see those tattoos again. Pleaseeee."

Will gave him puppy-dog eyes, and Nico felt the blood rush to his cheeks as he stared at his face. The expression made him look cute. He always was attractive to Nico, but cute? It was a new one. Nico grinned at him as he pulled off his shirt. "You really like them, don't you?"

Will's eyes flickered up to his before focusing on scanning over Nico's body. His cheeks couldn't have gotten any redder. "Take a deep breath in for me," Will directed, not moving his eyes from his chest.

"Do you want to get any?" Nico didn't know how they switched roles. Normally, he was the one ignoring Will. Maybe he still felt bad for this morning. Maybe Will intrigued him. The way he handled pain was very unique. Nico wanted to know more, and for the moment, Will seemed to be willing.

"I have one," he muttered.

Nico frowned. "Where?"

Will's hands ran down his chest to listen to his abdomen. Nico gasped in surprise, not prepared to hide is reaction. A small smile hinted at Will's lips. Nico couldn't help but embrace the rush of adrenaline pumping through him, as if he was back and battling Reyna again. Will glanced up at him. "My shoulder." He moved the stethoscope back over Nico's heart. It was hammering out of control, much to Nico's chagrin. "You're heart rate is fast…"

Nico clenched his jaw and looked away, sure if he stared into those blue eyes that Will would be able to sense why his heart was hammering uncontrollably. Nico's mind was racing. He could imagine those hands running all over his chest, out of curiosity or more, he didn't know nor did he care.

"I didn't see a tattoo on your shoulder," Nico mumbled.

Will's stunning smile was back. "So you were looking?"

Nico wanted to smother his face in a pillow. "Uh, you undress in front of everyone everyday. I was bound to see you shirtless sooner or later."

Will smiled scandalously. "Sureee," he winked, and Nico then realized he was about to pass out again. His cheeks felt much warmer than they shoulder have been, and his abs clenched involuntarily. Will's eyes were back on his body, but Nico didn't know what he was checking for. His hands skimmed over his left side. "I can't tell if this is a bruise or a tattoo…" So he pushed on it, and Nico's body clenched even more in pain.

"Solace!"

Will didn't seem to hear him. As Nico slowly relaxed, Will kept staring at Nico's lower left side, eyes glassed over. Nico coughed and watched as Will jumped, finally looking away from his body. Nico relaxed a little knowing that. "Um, you might have skimmed over it."

Nico didn't understand what he meant until Will turned around and slid the sleeve of his t-shirt off his shoulder. Despite Nico's hatred against touch, his hand reached out for the exposed skin. Covering the back of his shoulder and edging at his back, there was a large tattoo of a sun. It was in black ink without color, but he glowed enough to light it up. It was sort of beautiful, Nico realized, and totally opposite to his tattoos. He liked it, and then his thumb was brushing over the skin.

"It's very you," Nico muttered involuntarily. He seemed to be doing a lot of things without his consent. At that realization, he yanked his hand away from the warm skin he now craved to touch again.

"It's okay if you touch it," Will said, but he turned around, already knowing Nico wouldn't dare to touch him again. "I think that knock to your brain has opened you up, di Angelo."

Nico crossed his arms over his chest. "Wipe that grin off your face. You look dumb."

Will continued smiling, though, even when Apollo burst into the room unannounced. Nico yelped suddenly, searching for his shirt that was conveniently in Will's hands. He cursed the boy under his breath. Apollo raised an eyebrow between the two. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No."

"Then…why is your shirt off?" he asked, with his voice feigning innocence. Nico huffed haughtily and looked expectantly at Will. He shoved the shirt into Nico's gut in an instant.

"I did the physical exam. It looks like a rough concussion with no memory loss. We could take him in to check for a brain bleed, but I figured it'd be easier to just watch him for three days."

Apollo seemed mildly impressed with the boy's work, but only for a second. Nico tugged his shirt on as Apollo came by and flashed a light into his eyes, just as Will did. Will observed and hung on to every action desperately. After checking his breathing – through his shirt, Nico noted – Apollo tilted his head up and down, checking for any broken bones.

"What's the date? President? Where are you? Do you remember what happened?"

Nico answered them all perfectly. Apollo nodded. "Your eyes aren't contracting as fast as they should be. That's the only sign of your concussion. You're lucky you remember what happened. Will's right. If you don't want an MRI, we'll need to keep you here to ensure there's no signs of a brain bleed."

Nico rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. His head still hurt, and it only got worse with the number of times Will and Apollo had shined that light into his eye. All he wanted to do at this point was leave this bright place.

"Can't I just sleep it off?" Nico protested.

Will interjected. "I offered to keep him under 24/7 watch for the next three days. He's a flight risk here."

Apollo snorted. "And what makes you think he'd rather spend three days with you?"

Will looked quite smug. "He's already agreed. Right, Nico?"

Nico sighed as immediate regret began to fill him inside. "Yes, I did. Don't know why…"

Apollo leaned back in his chair. "It's highly dangerous. Don't let this slip to my sister. She'd jump at any chance to get me uncertified. Although, you're an orphan, right? Eh, the state doesn't care enough about orphans to call me out on this if it ends badly. No offense."

Nico's cheeks burned. He could feel Will's eyes burning into his soul, offended at hearing this information from Apollo, of all people. "None taken," Nico winced. In all honesty, he had never referred to himself as that before. An orphan. Only a month ago, he had a mother, a father, a sister. Now, he had a half-sister and nobody to take him in. He was, by definition, an orphan. Hazel couldn't take him in. She was lucky she wasn't placed in the foster care system when the social workers saw how unfit her mother was of caring for one child, let alone two.

"Sure," Apollo shrugged, his voice holding an odd emotion to it as he glanced at Will, who was staring daggers at Nico. "Get a lot of sleep. If you're feeling up to it, you can go out for lunch and dinner. No training for at least a week. Feel free to boss Will around if you're too tired to get food. Will, stay by his side all weekend and Monday. They'll excuse you from class. If he's healthy enough, you guys can walk around or do whatever it is you enjoy. Just don't push it. You know what signs to look for?"

Will blinked and finally took his blaring eyes off Nico. "Yes," he hissed. "Any sudden disabilities. Loss of motor function. Vomiting. Paralysis. Unconsciousness. I got it all covered."

From the sound of it, he wanted all of those pleasant little injuries to occur, in that order. Nico glanced wearily, with tired eyes.

"Let's get you home, _orphan_ ," Will hissed with more discontent than a cat in water. Nico was in for it.

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 **A/N: You guys are pretty damn awesome! I hope I don't disappoint you guys with where it's going. I write a lot when I do action, so half of this is action. Sorry, I'll try to update soon as a gift. Can we reach _past_ six reviews? Please, seven is my lucky number! **

**FYI: Idk when all this comes into play, so I will explain it here. 1) I haven't read the Apollo series yet so sorry if something from that doesn't match up. 2) I like Piper and Jason very much. 3) I love Reyna badass and independent even more than number two. 4) I mean no harm or patronization at anything mention throughout the story. If you're offended, it is a mistake and please point it out so I won't do it again. 5) There are things that come later on that may not be medically correct or timed right, but remember I am only a teenager and haven't gone to med school. So bear with me, please.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

 **A/N: I miss doing A/N's up here. I miss when I never dropped a story. To those following me…I'm so sorry. But this story is still strong as ever. I'm expecting somewhere under 20 chapters, most likely around 15. And now, why did Will have a problem with 'orphan?' Just so you know, this story's faint plot is focused around miscommunications, because they do happen in the world, a lot. Not to me because I am directly blunt, but you know. Also, there's almost no plot, I've noticed, other than the emotional connections. *eye roll* anywaysss, thanks for reviewing and reading, you guys are awesome!**

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"Ow, ow, ow! You're really rough on an injured person."

"Orphans tend to be tougher than others. Toughen up." Will groaned, shoving open the door of the main building. Nico was already feeling dizzy at this point, though he wasn't going to point that out. He'd do anything to keep away from that blinding white room.

"That's not funny," Nico ground out as he took the steps slowly. Will waited impatiently at the bottom.

"Wasn't meant to be," he retorted with an equally as angry tone. Nico sighed as he stepped onto level ground, but eyeing the rest of the long journey made his head pound.

He didn't look behind him when the doors opened again and footsteps neared him. "Nico! You alright?" Jason clamped a hand on Nico's shoulder, which he promptly shrugged off. Will glanced back at them, but his glare didn't really shift.

"I thought we were in for it, but then I looked over and saw Reyna knock you out," Percy laughed and whistled. "It made Annabeth's blade seem like ice cream."

Nico looked them over and noticed they both had similarly deep and long slashes. The deeper ones had bandages over them, with hints of blood seeping through. If Nico weren't sentenced to an irate little doctor for days, he'd say he got of better than them.

"I'm stranded with Will for a while," Nico said. "And he's-,"

"Don't you dare say I'm 'mad'!" Will turned on his heel with a fuming face. His finger was waving under Nico's nose in seconds. He looked expectantly at Percy and Jason. "Did you know he's an _orphan?"_

"Solace," Nico growled, embarrassment filling him to the brim.

"And he didn't even think to tell us?"

"Will."

"As if it didn't matter one bit!"

"Will!" This time, all three boys shouted at the heated blond. Nico felt each sentence berate into him like he was drowning under wave after wave. It hurt him more than he expected. Will sounded purely disgusted as he spat out orphan. And why shouldn't he? He probably thought Nico was only befriending him after so long because he would need somewhere to go over spring break or after school. Nico's fists clenched as he tried to fight back tears. Why did it matter? Why did Will care? He was still Nico. Why did him being an orphan make him so…bad?

"No…Nico, I didn't – not like-,"

"We're going to take Nico to the bonfire. Why don't you just get his bed ready and cool down?" Percy growled like it wasn't an offer. It was a demand. Nico's throat was burning as Percy and Jason both wrapped an arm around him. He leaned heavily into them, feeling the weight of his emotions hit him compounded with his pulsating headache.

"But-,"

"Will. Leave it." Jason barked back when Will began to follow after them. Nico didn't intend on going to any bonfires this year, but he couldn't stand to be around Will. He was barely keeping tears back as it was. That was exactly what he needed. Could he get any more different?

He was into all the wrong music. He had no family. He was poor and at the hand of the state. He had no concrete plans for the future. Oh, and how could he forget? He was one hundred percent gay, especially for the jerk that was straight and felt disgusted at the idea that he was an orphan.

They all sat on a log at the very back of the campfire, which was odd. Percy had his girlfriend somewhere here and Jason had the chance to finally flirt with the girls he'd grown desperate for.

"I knew," Percy said. He looked at Nico pensively, a rare look for him. "My dad was close with yours. I'm sorry, Nico."

Nico didn't answer. He continued staring at his lap. Maybe those words would have been nice when Nico had a huge, gaping crush on Percy. Maybe they would have been nice if Nico and him were closer friends, though he couldn't exactly blame Jackson for that one. Jason nudged his side. "Leo's mom died when he was around ten. His dad never was in the picture…" Nico continued to glare. "Frank's mom died in a war. His dad might send him a gift or letter once every two years. My mom lost her mind, left me in a park with an old lady. Took Thalia years to find me… What I'm saying is that we're all messed up, okay?"

Percy scratched the back of his head in confusion. "Will's had it pretty tough, too. I don't get why he'd say that about you. It sucks you lost your parents, but you're still our perky little Nico."

"I'll bring hell down upon you if you say that again," Nico snarled. He glared up at the two men. "I'm finding Hazel, saying goodbye, and going to bed. Thanks for…whatever that was."

Percy opened his mouth, perplexed once again. "You didn't even get to hear my story!" Nico sighed and turned back around to face him. "Well, actually, my parents just never got together. Dad stepped in around when I turned sixteen. We're working on it. But my mom? Wow, she's something. Her cooking is amazi – ow!"

Jason had elbowed the boy pretty hard, right over one of his bandaged spots.

"I wasn't done! What I was saying is that she's super cool and practically loves all my friends. If you ever need some motherly smothering, I'm willing to share."

Nico wanted nothing more than to sock Percy right in the face then and there. He had a kind heart, and Nico couldn't have done any better at comforting a friend if the situation was reversed, but that was why he didn't have many friends. They said things like this. Nico clenched his jaw, nodded curtly, and weaved into the crowd. Percy had a good family. Sure it wasn't perfect, but he was happy. Jason had a sister who looked after him, and he was happy. How did that help him? He could see how well his cabin mates had turned out _despite_ their upbringings. Nico, on the other hand, could see clearly how horribly he'd turned out _because_ of his family, or lack thereof.

In his defense, he'd always loved his rock bands and the color black, so maybe it was also in his blood.

Hazel smiled and waved him over. She was talking to Frank, her horse roaming in the trees far from the blazing flames. Nico hated how hot the flames were, how close he was to them. He cringed as he stood by Hazel. Leo was flirting shamelessly with Piper, who looked both amused and disgusted. She gave him a brotherly hug before moving into the sea of boys. Calypso, meanwhile, was nearby, watching and laughing. Leo continued flipping her off behind his back.

"Nico! You're okay?" Hazel asked with a smile. She was still adorned in her gear, just like the rest of the girls.

He nodded. "Forcing me to take three days off," he shrugged. He could handle three days of sleeping. If it meant he got to order the stuck up jerk around for food that was even better.

Hazel frowned. "Well, that's not too bad." He shook his head. "Did you know that my grandmother knew Leo's grandfather? Weird, huh?"

Nico glanced between the two. Surprisingly, he could imagine a friendly relationship between them, possibly something more, but Hazel wasn't that immature or stupid. Frank looked particularly disturbed at the mention of their connection. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"How's school?"

Hazel smiled warmly, but it didn't reach her eyes, as if sensing his discomfort. She rested a hand on Nico's shoulder. "You're falling asleep as we speak. Go to bed and call me over the weekend. Maybe I can come visit. Does that sound good?"

Frank was nodding relentlessly. Nico forced his lips to turn up in a half smile. "Anything to get me away from Will."

Hazel frowned. "I thought-,"

Nico grimaced. "Never mind. Goodnight, Hazel." He turned to the burly man frowning down at him. "Frank." Despite his size, Nico felt very superior to him, though he seemed to place himself above many men larger than him. He knew how to handle himself with more power than most did. Everyone assumed he was a stick, but he was toned and had plenty of hidden power in his muscles. It was enough to give him confidence in the sense that he wasn't ever intimidated by anyone.

On the way back to the cabin, Nico noticed a few things. Reyna, who was clearly flirting with Jason, waved at him in a not-so-friendly-nor-aggressively manner. He nodded his head curtly in return. Jason didn't notice him. His eyes were looking above the crowd for somebody, but he still kept conversation with Reyna, being polite and formal. Then there was Percy and Annabeth. He'd rather spare the details, mainly because he looked away the moment he saw a shirt come flying. They were hiding under the raised bleachers of logs, in plain view of anyone leaving the bonfire. Nico felt queasy. Furthermore, he glanced back and saw Frank pushing a strand of Hazel's curly hair out of her face. Nico wanted to barf. It went from sex-101 to the shy and the skittish.

He burst into the cabin with those thoughts pushing aside the ones concerning the blond idiot sitting on his bed with eyes as big as the moon. When he opened a mouth to say Hades knew what, Nico cut him off. He was not in the mood. "Look, I just witnessed some very disturbing scenes at the campfire. If you say one fucking word, I'll snap. And you haven't seen me angry."

Will's face was crestfallen and forlorn. He wasn't in surrender, but he wasn't in arguing mode either. It was a relief as Nico shuffled to his bed and pulled off his shoes. "My head is killing me and I really might puke." Will's eyes went wide. "From seeing Percy fucking Annabeth under. I need medicine."

Will seemed reluctant as he pushed a bottle of pills toward Nico, already suspecting the headache, clearly. Nico's eyes flashed to his, and he looked away immediately. How could he stay angry with the boy whose eyes were like his own personal gem? He looked like a kicked puppy, and Nico felt the need to console him.

But then he remembered why he was angry, why he felt like the world had personally spat on him that day, and he grabbed two pills without another word. Then, he trudged into the showers. Will was still sitting there, watching Nico as he dressed for bed.

"Did you vomit or feel dizzy?"

Nico shook his head curtly.

Will blew a breath of air. "Well…wake me if you do, seriously." Nico understood his underlying message. _Don't let your pride kill you._

Nico fell on the bed and turned his back to the boy with the longing angel face, grunting in acknowledgement. Then he finally closed his eyes and felt a sense of relief.

. . .

He heard the loud sounds of the morning as the guys rushed around to get ready for whatever they were doing, but Nico refused to wake up. It felt very early to him. The voices were like a distant dream to him.

They were very hostile towards Will.

"Well you could have phrased it better!"

"Just because your intentions are good doesn't always mean he'll understand them."

"You've only known him one week, anyways. So what if he keeps secrets from you?"

Will never fired back. Nico was glad. He didn't want to hear his side of it. He was too busy being angry. It gave him just another reason to hate the world.

He didn't wake until after noon. Lunch was sitting at his bedside, so he assumed he missed it. Groaning, he found his headache only subsided instead of disappearing completely. A humming noise sounded from his side. It was smooth and warm, lulling him back towards sleep.

"You slept so long I thought that rumor was true. About concussion victims sleeping into their deaths…" Will trailed off, his eyes big. "Speaking of deaths, -,"

"Not this early," Nico groaned. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up glaring. Will was on the edge of his own bed, for once.

"Okay," he said. "Do you want-?"

"I just want food." Nico shushed the boy. Will placed the tray full of pizza and a roll beside Nico. He picked at it numbly and tried to push back the headache forming. "Where did everyone go?" He didn't really want to be in anyone's company, least of all Will's. He figured he could spend the day switching between sleeping and listening to music. Very fun.

Will shrugged. "Percy left early to see Annabeth about some emergency. Jason went with him. Leo probably tagged along. Frank…well I think he did, too, come to think of it."

Nico winced as he tasted the fine bread de la cardboard. "Sad you have to miss out on prime flirting time?"

Will snorted. "I think I've had my fair share of girls. The last one I dated, Lou Ellen, only did it to make Cecil jealous. We're friends now, though."

There it was. Nico's solid confirmation. Will wasn't gay. The news dropped into his stomach with a heavy splash, making him grow the urge to puke. It was for the best, he told himself, he's a judgmental jerk anyways. Nico's heart gave a long, painful cry in pain despite himself. His eyes hardened and he couldn't answer.

Nico set the half-eaten food down, no longer hungry. It gave him another reason to detest the boy anyways. If he didn't think he was good enough for him, so be it. Besides, being his friend would have been one of the more painful things he'd purposefully put himself through. There was no reason he should dangle the bait in front of himself knowing he'd never get a taste. The bait was now soiled.

"Um, I was thinking we could play some type of game. I have cards, boar-,"

"You can stop now, Will. I'm an orphan and you clearly have problems with orphans. So we can stop forcing whatever friendship you're after. I don't like friends anyhow." Nico huffed and lied down, back to Will. With his earphones in, Nico pretended not to hear Will's protests. It didn't settle well on the blond seeing as he yanked one out.

"If you want to pout, fine. Pout. But let me explain!" Will growled. Nico turned over on his back, staring at Will blankly. "I was just – I was butt hurt that you didn't tell me sooner. I told you about my mom, and you never mentioned yours, so I only assumed it was the normal two parents who you hate or something like that. I worry about you going into the foster system in the summer, and not having anyone to help you out."

Nico said nothing. His heart hardened with each word, refusing to listen to him. These words easily could have been false.

"I'm sorry, okay? I forget you don't like being touched or opening up to people." Will murmured, twirling his foot absently on the ground as a hint of blush formed on his lips. His eyes were swirling and stormy when he looked up. "I'm sorry about your parents. That's why you left last year, isn't it? It's why you're on a scholarship now."

Nico didn't answer. Will sighed as he sat down on his bed. "My mom decided to use the money she'd put into the partial scholarship for more drugs and beer. It was shitty luck that I moved into the starting team."

Nico knew he should have answered him. He didn't know what to say in the first place, or if he believed him. Will hadn't lied to him before, but they'd only met a week ago. Since when did Nico make friends so fast? That aggravated him. He felt repulsed. While his sister, mother, and father all died less than a month ago, there he was, enjoying life.

Nico turned on his side again and blared the music, making a silent promise to only think of them from that point on. He deserved to have died in that fire, but he didn't. He'd keep their memories alive. He'd speak in Italian more. He'd continue in his father's footsteps when he grew old enough and find the remains of the Mafia. And he'd never have any fun without Bianca's laugh flitting through his mind.

It wouldn't be hard, after all. He wasn't social before and he had no urge to be social now. He had less of an urge to be around guys who didn't understand an ounce of pain or struggle. Nobody understood and nobody wanted to. Nico would be fine living like that, if he could just get that annoying archer off his back.

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 **A/N: I didn't like this chapter. Not one bit. Boringggg. Had to include the days in the infirmary like in BoO.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

 **A/N: Thank you my awesome reviewers! Here's a hint that one reviewer smartly noticed - definitely don't skip over the mentioning of Michael Yew and Lee Fletcher. Also, yes Will was insensitive, but hey, it's an unfortunate misunderstanding that he must learn from. Btw, I kinda love this chapter!**

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It was a little ways into dinner when Nico woke from his nap. Truthfully, he didn't know he'd fallen asleep. His head was no longer pounding, but his body was aching, which didn't seem fair considering he didn't even get tossed around much at all.

When the door burst open, Nico could breathe a little easier. Will, however, lost his breath in his ranting. He'd been doing that a lot recently. "-said to bring him back food!"

Frank rested a hand on the smaller boy's shoulder. "Give the kid some space and get it yourself."

"Matter of fact," Jason said nonchalantly. "Reyna brought Lou Ellen over. She's looking for you."

It wasn't quite ice that stabbed Nico's heart with millions of microscopic needles; it was miniscule fragments of dead bones slowly seeping into his heart to take it over and turn him into a skeleton. He glowered with a dangerous intensity. He hated himself for letting his attraction to the idiot get so far. It was ridiculous.

Will didn't even have the decency to display his true joy at hearing his ex was looking at him. All he did was look yearningly at Nico, like he wanted to say more but had said it all. "Okay…if _anything_ happens, even a sneeze, call me."

He looked at him like leaving would hurt him. Nico looked away out the opposite window, eager to get some space. When he was gone, he got out of bed and stretched his bed, settling on the couch. "What was the big emergency, Jackson?"

Percy hopped beside him on the couch, kicking his feet back. "What emergency?"

"The reason you visited Annabeth so early today."

Instantly, his face fell. He grumbled low out of his throat, "Nothing important." Nico raised an eyebrow. He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Uh, Annabeth would kill me if I spilled."

Jason threw a ball at Percy's head. "You're so whipped."

Percy snorted. "At least I'm not pining after the girl who tied me up while one other perfectly good specimen of a girl is throwing herself at you and is, you know, there!"

Jason jumped over the bed and put Percy in a headlock, both boys messing around until Leo walked by and knocked them each on the head with a wrench. He and Frank sat down in front of the couch. "You're more than pining after Annabeth, who tied you up, Percy," Frank pointed out. He looked at Nico. "You should have seen Jason when the girl walked by. He started rubbing his wrists in memory of the rope and totally forgot Reyna, who was telling a badass story of when she took down a wolf!"

"I heard it!" Jason growled. "I just didn't watch her show us the move, that's all."

Nico pulled his feet up to his chest and rested his chin on his knees, hinting at a smile. "Who was it? Calypso or Piper?"

"Why not Hazel?" Frank protested with his boulders clenched in fists.

Nico smirked. "He would have mentioned that she was the only dark-skinned girl on the team. Besides, my sister wouldn't hop of her horse to tie down _Jason_ of all people."

Frank huffed indignantly, but the answer seemed to appease him slightly.

"Well it better not be Calypso! If she refused me, she better had shut you down, too!" Leo pouted. "I mean, I mention how good her hair smelled _one time_ and suddenly I'm weird?"

Percy laughed. "I took her on a couple dates before Annabeth explained to me that we actually _were_ exclusive. Stick around. She's been the second best girl as many times as a girl her age could be."

Leo growled. "You really were a fuckboy before Annabeth, weren't you?" He looked like he was the one who had been dumped. "Asshole."

Percy shook his head. He was more solemn than normal today. "Treat her right, Leo. She really does deserve it."

"Percy Jackson fucks over a sweetheart. We finally hear your big secret," Jason snorted.

"He fucked over Rachel Elizabeth Dare, too. She kissed him. Then Annabeth kissed him. Rachel heard and threw a hairbrush at him. Now she's in finishing school." It was the most Nico had spoken that day. Everyone looked at him. "What? Beckendorf told Will and I about it in Greek Mythology. He saw Rachel kiss him. Then the entire school saw Annabeth kiss Percy. How did you guys not hear about that?"

"Dude, what next, are you going to knock up a random chick and leave her to fend for herself?" Frank muttered in horror. Percy's jumped toward the boy, his face spitting with sudden anger.

"Don't even joke like that!" he hissed. Jason pulled him back and stared at him oddly. Nico's lips lifted a little higher. It'd been a long time since he'd seen someone as laid back as Percy snap at someone. Frank looked ready to wet himself.

"S-sorry!"

There was silence, and the Frank spoke.

"My grandmother thinks she can shift into animals, and that I will eventually, too," he said it so seriously that nobody dared to laugh. He glanced at his nightstand. "She says my life is connected to a piece of firewood and if I burn it, I'll die, too."

There wasn't a warranted response to that type of thing. "Do you believe her?"

Frank shook his head, but a blush betrayed him. "She is very convincing, but no."

It was Jason who spoke up next. "I don't remember being raised in a home. I swear I was raised by wolves…" He looked around at the incredulous boys. "Thalia and I never told anyone that. They'd think I was crazy."

Nico wouldn't call him that, but deranged was a possibility. Leo wrung his hands. "I started the fire that burned my mother's workshop to the ground." Without him saying it, Nico felt a wave of death seeping out of his words. His mother had been in that fire. He blamed himself for her death.

Everyone was quiet and sad, reminiscing on bad times and horrible secrets. Nico had plenty of that to go back to, but that was all he had done that day. There was no talking. There was music and sleep and dreams of his parent's voices and his sister's laugh. He had secrets. He had so many secrets. But there was only one secret he could bare to tell, one secret he could say without bursting into tears. This secret wasn't life-impending, either. Maybe the guys would get a kick out of it. Maybe it would put Percy back into his happy mode.

 _Maybe I could stop carrying around the weight of the most relevant secret._

"I'm gay."

It slipped out of his mouth with a tremble in his voice. The words didn't sound fluid, but they sounded one hundred percent right coming from his voice. The boys' eyes shot upward in an instant. No longer were they thinking about themselves. They were looking at him. Nico hated the attention. He grew uncomfortable and squeezed himself further into his corner of the couch.

Nico felt immediate regret. His eyes went wide and he looked away. What more was there to say? Nobody had prodded it out of him. He just blurted it out with seemingly no shame. But that was so incredibly false. He had more shame than anyone. His mother was _Catholic._ Sure, _now_ they forced respect and banned discrimination against homosexuals, but when she was born? In her time, there were few other worse sins. They condemned them still, but much worse. It would have crushed her heart to know this about him. Maybe in a sense it was good she wasn't around. Nico couldn't stand the idea of seeing her face if he came out to her.

"That sucks. There's, like, only four other gay guys here."

The casualness of that sentence turned his head around quickly, his glare lessening. Jason had said it like he delivered news that the cooks could no longer serve pancakes for breakfast.

"Yeah, but aren't there at least five bisexual guys, too? I know two in our grade for sure," Leo bantered back like it was normal guy talk. Normal guy talk. Oh, the irony killed Nico. His cheeks burst into flames.

"How long have you been gay?" Percy asked.

Nico was too dumbfounded to stop himself from blurting out an answer and then some. "Ever since I can remember, I guess."

"How did you find out?" Leo asked with interest. "Have trouble fucking a girl?"

Nico blushed and shook his head. "Never been with a girl, so no."

"Did you just _volunteer_ to get fucked in the ass for shits and giggles then?" Leo gaped, like the idea was the equivalent of volunteering for the hunger games.

Nico smirked and spread his hands. "Never done that, either."

"You thought going in where the shit comes out your first time was a _good_ idea?"

"Look, I haven't done shit. Try jerking off to the tiny Abercrombie and Fitch ad instead of the big tits staring at me from the computer screen." Some of them made sounds of disgust, but Percy didn't even hear them. Nico glanced wearily at Percy, who seemed to be adding things together in his mind. Nico rolled his eyes. "Yes, I used to have a crush on you freshman year. Don't worry, you're not my type."

Percy was about to burst with a 'I knew it!' when his face turned to one of shock. "What? Why not!?"

Nico smirked, rolling his eyes and glancing out the window. The weight of what he'd just said settled down on him. He felt stupid and embarrassed. What happened to dying with that secret? "You guys, uh, can't tell anyone. Not Annnabeth, not Reyna, and especially not Hazel."

Frank seemed disturbed by lying to her. He pursed his lips. "I won't but…she's your sister. She wouldn't care-,"

"Don't go there, Zhang," Nico glowered. "Hazel's face lights up seeing Annabeth give Percy a second-long kiss. She thinks from the 1950's. Don't try to convince me of what my sister would do."

Frank wanted to protest, but the look in Nico's gaunt eyes pushed down even Percy from speaking out. "Do you guys understand? Nobody."

Then came the question he'd been dreading. "What about Will?" Leo asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Jason gasped excitedly and began to speak, but Nico jumped to his feet.

"Nobody! Not even Will!"

"But he's-,"

"He's not going to hear a word from any of you shitfaces. I was stupid enough to tell you guys, but not anyone else." Nico pointed at his sword. "I sleep with it at my side. Don't think I'm above attacking you in your sleep."

Nobody said a word.

He exhaled heatedly, letting fresh air in his body. With that came a wave of exhaustion. "Good."

He fell on his bed with a loud groan of regret. He probably just ruined any attempts at friendship, not that he'd be striving too hard for one. He saw the way they'd look at him, like he was an unidentified specimen that could turn dangerous if they got too close. Well, they definitely got too close this time.

 _Live the rest of the year in silence and ignore all conversation._

Isolation was the only way to stay safe. He'd gotten his hopes up with Percy and found his luck had ran out. The same thing happened with Will, only it felt much worse because he'd actually enjoyed Will's annoying behavior from time to time. Bianca was the only one who'd known Nico fully, but even she had opted to leave him to be a better person.

Did that make him the bad guy? He supposed it did. And he really didn't give a shit.

. . .

Nico watched Will as he worked. The stethoscope was always cold on Nico's chest so Will warmed it up with his hands. He didn't speak. It almost worried Nico. The lack of words from his mouth was too uncommon.

He checked Nico's temperature, which was a degree colder than what he wanted, but Will held his tongue and shoved a blanket at him. Then, he sat down on the couch and did homework.

When lunch came around, Will left again without words. Jason was the only one who came back. The others guys were out and about, most likely training. Nico wanted nothing more than to escape the cabin and train. It felt like his arms had been ran over by a car. Lifting his sword next week Friday would be harder than lifting it for the first time in a month.

Jason sat on Will's bed, and Nico took out one ear bud out of politeness. "You know Will didn't mean it that way, right?" Nico fought the urge to roll his eyes as he pushed a deep breath of air out of his lungs. "It's just…you told all of us that you're gay, but not him. And you're closer to him than anyone else here."

Nico began to protest, but Jason held up a hand.

"I have two theories. Theory one: you honestly think that since you lost your parents, Will would dislike you. That's just stupid. You're looking for a problem or reason to hate Will and push him away. But that made me wonder _why_ you would do such a thing. Which brings me to theory two: you like him and are scared he doesn't like you back. I get that…but being his friend isn't the worst thing in the world, Nico. A relationship is just two friends messing around exclusively. Well, maybe a little more, but my point is that you don't want to lose him as a friend. Seeing you all crippled was sad but amusing. Seeing Will practically defeated into silence is just depressing."

At first, Nico was angry. Jason had no right to go prying into his life. He had no idea about his life. But Nico also wasn't stupid. He heard truth in Jason's words, describing something much too familiar to be wildly assumed.

Gritting his teeth, Nico whispered, "Is that all?"

Jason tilted his head. "Yeah, it is. Also, we need you back to training as soon as possible. Beating Leo is like beating a child."

Nico found his escape. His eyes glinted with challenge. "So you're saying I'm more his skill level."

Jason laughed. "You said it, not me."

As the door opened, Jason headed for it. "Watch yourself, Grace!" Nico yelled. Will was at the door, watching them banter without input. Jason nodded his head to Will in greeting as he ran out the door. The new blonde replaced the old as he placed the lunch in front of Nico.

"How is the pain today?"

Nico muttered, "Gone."

Will didn't even show signs of happiness. He simply nodded and went back to the couch to continue doing his homework. Nico felt shorted. There were no attempts at conversation or apologies. He supposed Will had apologized three times over by this point though.

With a sigh, Nico ate his food. It was time for him to forgive the kid. He could do it. The fact that he was pining after conversation with Will made him regretfully admit he'd already forgiven him. He supposed Jason was right. He was just scared. He was scared he'd show his true feelings for him, driving Will away with a disgusted scowl.

Finishing his food, Nico turned over promptly for a nap. He couldn't decide what to do yet. He didn't want to, but he also did. His head was split in two. Maybe a nap would help clear his mind.

He was so wrong.

 _"Mamma! Mamma, tell Papá's men to find that last mythomagic piece. It's almost his birthday!" Bianca's voice wafted up the grand stairs and into Nico's room. His ears perked, and he glanced up from his Hades card. Everything else had a statue to match their attack statistics, but not Hades._

 _"What's that, Bianca?" Nico came running down the stairs with such power he shook the chandelier._

 _Before he could enter the kitchen, his father, Pluto, jumped out from behind the Greek standing pillar, a sword in hand. Nico's eyes glinted, and he lunged to the left wall where two swords hung, crossed. He grabbed one and stood in correct position._

 _"A little higher," Pluto corrected, a glowering look of darkness escaping his grin. "Yes, that's right. Now, can you take on your Papá?"_

 _Nico slashed out at him, sending his body off balance. Pluto fought with one hand, playing into Nico's swings. He never let him win, of course. Nico knew how good his father truly was. He loved the idea that some day he could be as powerful with a sword as him._

 _Eventually, his mother broke it up, pleading in fast Italian for them to settle down into breakfast. As they sat down at breakfast, his mother pressed a kiss to his temple and placed his plate before him. "Chi si volta, e chi si gira, sempre a casa va finire," she whispered in his ear, "con me."_

No matter where you go or turn, you will always end up at home. With me.

 _Then Nico was older, sitting on the grass next to Percy and Annabeth in the clearing by the cabins. Nico always felt like a third wheel around them, so it was an uncommon occurrence. Annabeth was talking about how Thalia and Bianca had paired up and left her dry in one of her classes. Nico smiled at the idea. Normally, he'd hang out with Bianca on the weekends, but she went home to visit their parents. She said she had to talk to them about something serious._

 _Nico didn't understand her, but she'd said she was bringing a present back with her by Sunday. It was early Sunday morning, and he hadn't heard from her. He wasn't worried, but he was eager to open his present._

 _Then he got a call._

 _"Are you Nico di Angelo, son of Pluto and Maria di Angelo?" A gruff voice asked without emotion._

 _"Yes, who's asking?"_ _Nico asked with a tinge of anger. After years of observing his father's work, Nico knew the best way to get what he wanted was by showing no weakness from the beginning. It worked for his dad and it worked for him._

 _"I am detective Thanatos, and there's been an accident." His voice cut through thin air like a poisoned blade. "You need to come home immediately."_

 _Nico couldn't breathe, speak. He closed off his throat as he coughed. "Fine."_

 _He hung up on the man before he could reveal more. He didn't want to know. Percy and Annabeth were looking at him with concern. "What do you think happened?" she asked, eyebrows pinching together as she debated all possibilities. Nico wanted to squeeze her mind shut. He glared at the ground and shrugged. He didn't want to know._

 _"You need to go," Percy said, oddly serious. Nico looked up, furious for them listening in on his conversation._

 _Nico didn't want to…because he knew, no matter what Thanatos had said, that it was no accident._

 _And then he was there, standing before the mound of ashes much taller than him. He was looking with horror at the nothingness, eyes unconsciously searching through the debris for bones._

 _"It was all burned down, all the hidden money and treasured jewels gone."_

 _Nico knew about his father's business. He didn't know the police knew about it._

 _"It is terrible what happened here. A tragedy." Thanatos had no remorse in his voice, nor did Nico search for any. The numbness let him continue on, get all the information. "We did find this. It was thrown out the window we assume." He placed a black figurine of the Greek god named Hades. Nico's heart broke at the sight of the handmade object. It was pure obsidian, not bought from the mythomagic creators._

She made this for me.

 _On the bottom was an inscription. "Chi si volta, e chi si gira, sempre a casa va finire." His mother's sole advice, made by his sister, from the obsidian of his father's heart._

 _"Your sister is on her way."_

 _"B-Bianca?" Nico's voice had too much hope, too much emotion. Thanatos grimaced as he shook his head, creating a tear in Nico's heart._

 _"Hazel Levesque," he said._

Never heard of her.

 _When Thanatos left, Nico sat on the ground clutching the statue as his anger grew and grew until it burst._

Nico was being shaken awake. He was sobbing. It was different from a scream. Terror ripped through him, evoking all his negative emotions he'd ever felt before. Even when he opened his eyes, everything was blurry.

"Nico," Will's voice was a good change compared to the haunting voice of Thanatos. It was dark in the room, but nobody else was awake. Will was sitting on his bed, pulling Nico up into a sitting position. He had a bottle of water in hand and eyes searching him for signs of harm. "Nico, what's wrong?"

Nico wiped furiously at his eyes, looking at Will desperately. Before he could think about it, Nico threw his arms around the tall blond. Will was stunned, but he was an open boy, and he knew how to hug.

"N-nightmare," Nico wanted to say a dream, but he knew it wasn't no matter how positive the first dream was. It wasn't even a nightmare, but it felt like one. It was all memories.

"Do you want to-?"

Nico shook his head and leaned back. He glanced around the cold room and shuddered.

Will's hand stretched forward and caressed Nico's hollowed cheek, his calloused fingers wiping away another tear. "Then come with me. If you're going to cry, you're don't need to hide it."

Nico wanted to protest, but exhaustion hit him like a brick, and the tears wouldn't stop. Without a word, he nodded. Will grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door, intertwining their fingers and holding them tight.

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 **A/N: I love the meaningful reviews. I wish I'd get more of those, or just more reviews in general. I just love hearing that you guys are really reading it. Love you all!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

 **A/N: Jk, I lied. This is my favorite chapter! It's soooo cute! Also, Percy's problems are revealed! Props to the reviewer who guessed it like three chapters ago. Sorry, to disappoint you, but side plots in my case can be very cliche because there's not so much focus on it that it gets annoying. Props to the other reviewer who guessed it last chapter! Love the reviews, guys!**

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Will led Nico out of the cabin and into the woods. He held a blanket in one hand and Nico's palm in the others. Nico didn't follow where they were headed. He was trying to stop crying. It just wouldn't stop.

Then Will stopped, and Nico ran into him. He looked around and the tears came harder. Will watched him worriedly, Nico could see the fear swirling in his bright moon-lit eyes.

"Are you cold?" Will asked, and without giving him time to answer, he held out his sweatshirt. Nico shook his head, and then Will pulled the clothing right over Nico's head. It was too big on him, but it was much warmer than the chilly wintery air. Will then sat down against the tree and pulled Nico next to him. His back hit the tree hard, but it didn't matter to him. Silently, Will wrapped the blanket around both of them, forcing Nico to squish in closer.

"What's happened in your nightmare?" Will murmured. Nico involuntarily shuddered. He shook his head and looked around.

"Bianca and I used to meet up here...every weekend." His voice was broken and cracked, and the blanket fell from his shoulders. Will reached around and pulled it up, but he kept his hand there. "I don't like being touched," but Nico didn't have the energy to shove his arm off, and instead he leaned his head on Will's shoulder with a sigh.

"Bianca is your...?"

"She's my - she was my sister," Nico corrected himself as he stared straight ahead. "She died one month and a week ago."

"With your parents?" Nico nodded as his body sagged. Will readjusted his grip around Nico's side to keep him upright. At this point, Nico had devoted all focus on his memories, struggling to shut them off. Will's other hand reached around and wiped away more tears. This time, nothing replaced them. "What happened?"

Nico glanced at Will. He was searching Nico over again for injury, and Nico was surprised how much better it made him feel. It'd been so long since anyone cared enough to make sure he was okay. Nico took a deep breath. "My father worked for the Italian Mafia for years in New Jersey, but his brother, the leader, kicked him out a couple years ago. Papà sent Bianca and I here to keep us safe, but Bianca said she had some serious business to ask our parents. So she went home. And that was when my uncle set our house on fire."

Nico watched Will, unsure how he'd react. At first, he expected him to be freaked out. Anyone who heard that he'd been part of the Italian Mafia thought he was a stick of dynamite ready to light. They ran away from him, scared for their lives. But Will only frowned. The moonlight hitting his eyes illuminated the night, awakening Nico from his memories with such relief. "Why do you think she went home?"

Nico shook his head into his shoulder, surprised by his intense warmth. Nico was so cold, but Will wasn't. "I'm not sure. But after that, I found out I have a half sister - Hazel Levesque. She goes to the same school as Bianca went to. Hazel wasn't surprised to hear about Bianca, but she was me."

"So they met at school and your sister got suspicious and went home to talk to your father," Will summed up. Nico sighed in agreement.

"I saw the ashes. It was like I was there again." Nico shuddered. He looked at Will pleadingly, searching for any type of answer. "How do I not let that bother me?"

Will closed his eyes a moment, straining to come up with something. He looked pained, knowing Nico's nightmares. For a moment, Nico regretted telling him, but not because he was embarrassed. He wished Will wouldn't know what he did so he wouldn't seem so stressed. When Will looked at Nico finally, his eyes were too bright a blue, only made so by his glossy eyes near tears. Nico felt his own tears fall again, but Will didn't bother to wipe them away. It was okay, he showed, to cry when you need to.

 _You don't have to be strong all the time - it's okay to cry in front of me._

"Maybe you don't have to forget them," Will said. "You almost need to remember them. Don't let your good times be forgotten. I don't have any good memories with my mom so I try to forget our time together...but don't you have good memories of them?"

Nico hated his words. He hated remembering. He hated how good he felt with them, and how bad he felt without them. He hated remembering when they had been there and when they had left him. Will was right, as always. If he had to cry, he'd rather cry from remembering the good instead of faltering on the fact that they were gone, that he was the only one left.

"My favorite times were when we were young and lived in New Jersey, back when we spoke almost only Italian. We moved when I were seven, but even then my mother refused to learn English," Nico snorted at the memory. "She loved to yell, _'Tutti dovremmo essere ancora in Italia!_ '" He looked at Will. "We should all still be in Italy."

Will stared in awe down at the boy. "I love that. Say something else in Italian, please."

Nico managed to smirk almost as he spoke with a heavy but perfect Italian accent, " _Voglio baciarti fino a quando non si può respirare in questo momento_."

Will's cheeks reddened a tint, and for a moment, Nico feared he secretly spoke Italian, or understood it enough to get the message. Telling your friend currently holding you in a close embrace, "I want to kiss you until you can't breathe right now," wasn't the way Nico planned to come out to him.

"What did you say?" Will asked in earnest. "Have you always been able to speak Italian?"

"I'm bilingual," Nico chuckled slightly at the awe in Will's eyes. "Stop looking at me like that."

"Sorry," Will lied. "It's kinda ho -," he cleared his throat before finishing, face filling with red again. "It's cool."

Nico rolled his eyes and looked away. The sky was very dark as it neared past midnight. The animals in the clearing were quiet except for the occasional owl. The breeze filtered through the cover they shared, making Will pull Nico closer. It was only then that their position became apparent to Nico. From Will's hands, energy pinched Nico's nerves hard enough to cause permanent damage, but he didn't care. His face rested against Will's shoulder with the perfect height difference. It was the one time Nico didn't mind being a few inches shorter than him.

"Thank you," he whispered before he stuffed his mouth shut. He couldn't remember the last time he'd said those words.

Will glanced down at him with a grim smile. "Anytime," he said. "I'm serious. If you ever need a break from that, get me. I like seeing this side to you."

Nico stiffened. He hated people seeing this side of him. He was weak. The last time he cried in front of anyone was when he was nine and Bianca fell on top of him and broke his hand. "Yes, seeing me a blubbering mess must have been a great show for you."

Will snorted. "No, but seeing you finally care about something was nice. Reminds me you aren't some invincible god."

"I'm far from a god," Nico rolled his eyes. Will looked at him through the corner of his own and smirked impishly, an adoring looking flitting through his eyes.

"You are in looks."

Nico's head got a rush of blood, and he was surprised he didn't pass out from the pressure. The resurrected butterflies resting in his stomach created a torrential storm, sucking the life and consciousness out of him. With a fluttering yelp, he ducked his head away.

Will blanched. "Uh, I just meant - well...yeah," he sighed dejectedly. Nico risked a glance at Will, heart picking up speed at he did so.

" _Grazie_ ," he mumbled, snuggling his head into Will's shoulder enough to hide from him. Will laughed nervously and ruffled Nico's hair, fingers touching his forehead in the process. They were colder than Nico, and he was always cold. "You're freezing!"

"I am?"

Nico cursed under his breath. "Yes. Come on. I'm better now. Let's go back to sleep."

"But I like it _here_!" Will grunted, emphasizing the last word. Nico flushed as self-flattering thoughts swirled in his head. Was Will just tired or was he flirting at this point? He wished he knew, wished he had the same guts to flirt back. But Nico knew he wasn't gay. He talked about his previous girlfriend a couple times before. It wouldn't have been Nico's luck. Besides, Nico didn't flirt. Ever.

Nico stood and offered Will a hand, which he refused out of spite. They were walking back to their cabin when they heard the yelling. It was coming from the little creek that all the teachers thought kept the girls and boys from sneaking off to fornicate with each other at night.

"It's not like we have much of a choice, wise-girl," Percy's tone was softer but still rushed. His voice wavered nervously as he spoke. Nico nudged Will and together they sneaked toward the river. Annabeth and Percy stood on the boys' side, facing off almost. He reached out to touch her face, but she smacked it away. "Besides, a little version of you? How could that be much trouble?"

"Percy, think! My mother will come back all the way from Greece to kick your ass! We have no money, no house, and no job. And what do you mean there's no other option? Of course there's another -,"

"Don't even say it, Annabeth." Percy didn't use her name to her face ever. He also had never been so angry before. "You can't! It's-,"

"It's my body," Annabeth retorted just as vehemently. She looked at him with sagging shoulders. "You have to consider all the options. You'd be stupid otherwise."

"Of course. I'm the stupid one for not wanting to kill a living being!"

Annabeth didn't have anything to say back to him. She surely did, but it was clear she didn't want to. After a moment of silence, she stepped forward with a pout on her lips and rested her head on Percy's shoulder. "I'm so scared."

Percy wrapped his arms around her waist. "We'll figure it out. We always do."

"All my plans will be down the drain."

"No. I won't let that happen."

"Oh really? How are you going to stop it? Is there a way for a mother to really go to college and learn what she needs? Please, en-"

Nico felt a wave of exhaustion and stumbled, stepping on a twig. Immediately, the two jumped to action. Percy and Annabeth looked ready to tackle Hades himself. "Who's there?"

With an apologetic sigh, Nico and Will stepped out from behind the trees. Annabeth groaned in dismay. Then, she was in their faces. "How much did you hear?"

"Nothing," Will said as Nico spoke blandly, "Everything."

Percy glared harshly at the two boys. Nico forgot how long ago before he'd really spoken to Percy how powerful and slightly intimidating he seemed. None of his friends would call him those things knowing his goofy personality, but staring up at him with those crisp, targeting green eyes, Nico wondered how much being his friend would keep Percy off their backs.

"Gods," Annabeth cursed and looked at Percy, smacking his shoulder. "Good going, Seaweed Brain."

"Me?"

Will stepped forward with a grin. "So you're pregnant? Congratulations."

"Yes, she's clearly jumping for joy, Solace," Nico grumbled, eyeing the smoldering look on Annabeth's face. Pregnant women were raging with hormones and he didn't intend to get on her bad side. "Don't worry, we won't say anything."

Percy stood straighter, buffing out his chest and nudging Annabeth. "That's exactly right."

"Oh, shut it!" Annabeth hissed. She narrowed her piercing grey eyes at the two boys. "And what exactly were you two doing out here anyways?"

Nico didn't know how to answer that one. His hands clenched into fists, and he worried what Will would say. He turned the question around in vain. "What do you think we were doing?"

Nico had a right to be worried.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "Well, I've known about Will, but Nico? Hmm, makes sense."

"We won't tell if you won't tell!" Percy blurted. Annabeth looked at him with disdain, obviously troubled with going along with one of his plans. Nico opened his mouth to inquire exactly what he was referring to, but his wink gave it away.

"What are you guys-?" Nico began to ask. He was still confused on Annabeth's comment. What did she know about Will that he didn't know?

"Are you going to have the baby?" Will blurted instead. Nico face-palmed himself as Annabeth's fists clenched tightly by her sides. "Because if you are, you need prenatal care. A lot can go wrong with babies, and I'd hate-."

"Thanks. We got it, Will," Percy coughed, eyes nervously skirting to Annabeth's stomach, which was still toned and fit for the time being. Nico noticed her hand absently brushing over her belly as she forced her muscles to relax. Skimming over her skin.

"Seriously, don't worry about it. We won't say a word."

"Good. You do know we're the two best swordsmen on this coast, debatably in the whole nation. It'd be a shame if you found yourselves up against us in a real battle," this time, Annabeth took a defensive stance, her hands guarding lower than any fighter with experience would hold their guard. She's protecting her stomach. "Or right now."

Percy laughed and pushed her hands away. "They know I'll drown them in their sleep if they say a peep."

"Good rhyme!" Will smiled. Nico rolled his eyes.

"Let's go," he shuddered. Nico and Will began their walk back, stopping only when Percy called out.

"Hey, is that Will's sweatshirt you're wearing?"

"Keep walking," Nico hissed.

"That's adorable!" Annabeth giggled. Nico turned around and glared.

"What's more adorable is the way you speak of abortion when you're already protecting your stomach!" Nico raised his middle finger to them and dragged the hysterical Will out of the woods.

They snuck back inside, and even Nico had trouble containing his laughter when they passed Leo. He was curled in a little ball, mumbling the words, "Calypso, my love!" in his sleep. Will collapsed on his bed with a grin.

When Nico went to sleep that night, he was grinning, too.

. . .

Nico snorted as Will threw a shoe at him. "Come on, Ghost King, let's socialize!" He shoved Nico out of bed with ease and gasped when the covers fell away. "You're still wearing my sweatshirt!"

The entire cabin turned to look at Nico. His eyes went wide as Nico stood seething at the boy. "Yeah. And if you want me to go to breakfast, I'm going to continue wearing it," Nico growled, storming into the bathroom without waiting on a response. He could feel the rays from his bright smile hit his back.

Will and Percy had waited on him as the rest of the guys walked on ahead. Nico scowled as they stepped into the cold winter wind. Earlier last night, it had begun to snow. Now, it was picking up. They walked briskly.

"You guys didn't say anything, right?" Percy whispered. Nico swore he should have been taller than every one of his cabin mates. Just from his hunched shoulders and nervous whispers, Percy acted like a wimp half the size of Nico most of the time, or at least off the battlefield.

"We've been awake for under an hour. Give me some time to blab before you ask about it," Nico rubbed his arms furiously to warm up. Will's hand wrapped around Nico's hand, but he pulled away immediately and picked up the pace. Whatever Will's intentions were, Nico didn't trust his emotions enough to hold it together without creating something out it that wasn't there.

"Okay…don't, though," Percy said.

Will glanced wearily at Percy as they pushed through the door. "You know she'll be showing for the dance, right?"

Percy grunted, "How would you know when we…you know?"

Will laughed. "You practically told us all. Over the break you had sex. She was probably ovulating or near ovulating. So she's around a month along. You really need to see a doctor, these things are important."

Percy looked at his hands in response, frowning as he did the math in his head. Once they got food and sat down, Nico asked, "What dance?"

Leo gasped dramatically. "Didn't you go last year? Upperclassmen can go and bring a date. We host it with our 'sisters' even though nobody treats them like sisters. Am I right, Percy?" Leo held a hand out to him.

Percy grunted and continued to glare at his food.

"Jason?"

Jason threw a biscuit at him instead.

"Frank?"

"You're a pig."

"N-Nico? Oh, right, uh, never mind."

"Wait, why?" Will blurted. Leo turned on him with a grin.

"Come on, Will. You and Lou Ellen -,"

"Did nothing!" Will groaned. Nico looked at him expectantly. "I swear!"

"Wait, so that means you haven't even had a first kiss before!" Leo gasped, pounding the table with excitement. "Look at you, walking around like you could get anyone with your sunny smile when you've never even kissed a person!"

Will leaned forward on the table. "I never said that. You don't have to be in a relationship to kiss someone." His eyes dared anyone to challenge him. Jason let out a loud whoop.

"We've got a smooth bachelor on our hands," Jason grinned. "You know who kissed me even though I said no dating?"

"Don't say it," Nico pleaded.

"Reyna."

Nico grimaced. For whatever reason, he felt a little protective of the girl who had nearly sent him to his death. She put up a good fight. He still was unsure who would have won if Piper hadn't sent the odds in Reyna's favor.

"End it."

"I told her we aren't together."

"I don't care. Don't do anything with her. Seriously." Nico's eyes bore into Jason's. His smile faltered and he frowned.

"Uh, why?"

"Somebody have a crush?" Will nudged Nico with a raised eyebrow. Percy, Leo, and Frank burst out laughing like they hadn't ever laughed before. Nico mentally choked and he frowned, ignoring Will's comment.

"She's a good fighter. If you break her, you break her fighting style. And that's a waste. Don't do it." Nico hissed. He looked to Will and sent him his best ' _where did that even come from?'_ face.

"O-okay," Jason scratched his head. "Fine, but I'm asking her to the dance."

"The dance is months away."

Jason shook his head and finished his juice. "They're making a Valentine's Day dance, too. The girls struck some deal with that band 'Aphrodite's Cupids.'"

Nico mumbled, "I hate stupid Cupid." Will giggled and fluffed his hair teasingly. He ducked his head away.

"Thank the gods! If Annabeth couldn't go to a dance, she'd castrate me!" Percy fell on the table in a heap. Everyone stared at him and his smile of relief fell as he sputtered for a plausible lie. "Well, because, uh, um…her mom! If her mom is back in town, she'll make her go with Luke. She hates me."

"What happened to you liking that Piper girl?" Frank asked, ignoring one of Percy's many outbursts.

Jason blushed. "She scares me. If I talked to her, she'd probably convince me to make out with a Greek storm spirit named Dylan."

Leo stared at him silently. "Really thought this through, huh?"

Nico laughed under his breath, and it was in that moment he was very surprised with himself. He couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed so freely without a care. He looked around the table at the joking boys and felt warm at the idea of being included. Yesterday, he'd come out to four of his friends and had practically cuddled with the other. It was something he'd never imagined himself doing. He wasn't sure it was something he ever saw himself as desiring, either. Just imagining how hard his father would laugh at him if he'd seen him like this, forgetting all they went through in the Mafia.

In his defense, Nico didn't go through anything. His parents did a lot of dirty work, but before Nico was old enough to partake in anything aside from practice shooting and sword fights, they'd escaped that life. And even then, nothing followed him, up until the day their house burned to the ground.

Will nudged his foot. "Stop brooding. This is supposed to be healthy time, not glare-like-a-sixty-year-old-man time."

Nico rolled his eyes, picking at the remains of his food. He also didn't expect ever admitting to having a heart-aching attachment for the blonde sitting beside him, enough to call a crush, _if_ he didn't find that word incredibly childish.

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 **A/N: If we reach SEVEN reviews, I'll give you a sneak peak into the next chapter on the following update! ;)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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Nico didn't want to admit that he had a lot of fun his last day of being sick. Everyone else went to class, but Will and he stayed in their cabin or walking around the yard. Nico's head was perfectly fine now, but he didn't tell Will that, not like he'd let them go back to school anyhow. They spent the day in the clearing. Nico taught Will the proper way to hold a sword. By the time classes let out, Will was able to defend himself and even try (and fail) to strike back on an attack from Nico himself.

"Since I am technically still your doctor, I have one more exercise to...build up your skills." Will announced with a raising of his hands in surrender as Nico's blade pressed heavily against his pulsing throat. Nico's smirk fell.

"Yeah? What's that?"

"We're going to talk to some girls."

Nico couldn't have been more displeased. He didn't plan on coming out to Will just yet. Sure, the longer he waited the more hurt he'd be when he heard how long Nico had been harboring his secret, but Nico had a feeling his disgust would override it. Besides, if he had a friend, he was going to experience it all before it had to end. But this was not something he signed up for. He could avoid the question of his sexuality, but he definitely couldn't act the part of being straight.

"No, I don't think so," Nico scoffed like the idea was simply below him. Will gave him a sly smirk.

"Is somebody shyyyy?"

Nico shoved the flat side of his sword against Will's neck, pushing him a little too roughly into the tree. "I have no interest." _In them_ , he wanted to say, but the words fell dryly in the pit of his throat.

Will made a whining sound. "Don't you want a date to the dance?"

Hell no.

"Not particularly, no," Nico rolled his eyes. Will grabbed his arm, and Nico yanked it away as he started on the path back to the cabin. Will slung his forgotten bow across his back and walked beside the dark-haired boy, keeping up with his brisk pace with ease. "Look, if you want to flirt with girls, go ahead. It's not my thing."

"I'm beginning to think flirting in general isn't your thing," Will muttered, oddly with a tone of disappointment. He spoke loudly before Nico could think more about his first comment. "I'm not asking you to flirt with them. Lou Ellen wants to meet you, or somebody from my new cabin. Also, she said Reyna and Hazel have been trying to get you to visit for a long time."

Nico didn't feel like meeting his girlfriend or ex girlfriend or whatever. "Ask Percy. Hades knows he needs to speak to Annabeth."

Will scratched his head, and then resorted to his last strategy: puppy eyes. "Please?" Will's hand felt warm as he grabbed Nico's shoulder, turning the only slightly smaller boy to face him. Nico's entire body turned to mush staring into his pleading eyes. They were so innocent and pure and blue. Gods, Nico hated himself for thinking such thoughts. Nobody enjoyed being called beautiful, but that was what Will was. He was beautiful in every light. Handsome, hot, gorgeous. He was all of those things combined and Nico loved every bit of it.

" _Vaffanculo_ ," Nico grumbled, looking at his feet with distaste.

"What was that?"

"I said I'd go," Nico hissed the lie snootily and rested a hand on his sword. He watched as Will grew a brilliant smile the shade of the blistering sun. "But you owe me archery practice one of these days."

Will beamed. "Absolutely!" He placed both hands on Nico's shoulders to the smaller ones discomfort and turned them both around.

Upon seeing the river, Nico took hold of an opportunity he simply couldn't pas up. "I'm not going."

"Wh-,"

"Unless you carry me across. I don't want to get wet," Nico sniffed like uppity royalty. Will stared dumbfounded at him.

"You really did come from a rich family," Will scoffed. Nico shrugged, waiting for his answer. "Alright spoiled little Italian, hop on."

With a too happy grin, Nico was cautious of his sword as he hopped on the boy's back. He narrowly avoided Will's bow, settling below its round compound pulley system at the bottom. Nico was simply glad in his moment of beholding Will's cuteness earlier he hadn't grown a boner or anything of the likes. He got worried about that fact when Will's hands gripped _high_ on his thighs to keep him upright. Nico squeaked in surprise as he instantly began moving, not even struggling with his added weight. The water was a little past ankle deep. Nico leaned forward so his mouth was near his ear.

"Cold?"

Will jumped, as if startled the man on his back could speak. He smiled, but it was a different smile, a mix between nervous and something else. Nico couldn't tell. "No. You're pretty warm."

"I meant your feet."

"Oh," Will flushed. "Oh, yeah, I can hardly feel them." Nico snorted and Will pulled him up further on his back as he stepped out of the creek, which forced Nico's legs apart and his groin right into the jutting out round metal of Will's bow.

"Holy Hades!" Nico spit out a horde of curses in both Italian and English as he shoved himself off Will's back and fell to the ground. Clutching his crotch, he let out a long groan of absolute pain.

Will turned around, hurriedly falling to his knees beside Nico. "What happe – oh damn." He dared to let out a chuckle, watching Nico squirm on the ground, eyes clenched in pain.

"I will end you, Solace," Nico hissed like a snake out of hell. He rolled to his back, then to is side, finding neither position really helped ease the throbbing pain in the area below his hips.

Will seemed to notice the pain hadn't gone away after a minute. He bit his lip, eyes squinting down with worry. "Can I, uh, h-,"

"If you're asking to see my dick, you've chosen the worst pick up strategy there is," Nico muttered, just to get the concern seeping from his bright blue eyes to disappear. Will's lips spread to a smile, and Nico swore it helped ease a bit of his pain…that is until Will's hand gripped his thigh, just above the knee. His member twitched, and instant pain shot from within him, just as bad as the original impact with the bow. "Oh, fuck!"

Will frowned. "Move your legs closer to your body."

Nico hissed, "Don't want…stupid…doctor talk right now."

"It's not doctor talk," Will chuckled. "It's from personal advice."

Nico did as directed, and the pain was more bearable. He looked at Will with disdain. "Who would ever kick you in the balls?" Will raised an eyebrow with a smirk.

"Ex lover of mine didn't exactly appreciate me cutting it off…right after we had sex," Will scratched the back of his neck as red crept deeper into his cheeks than he'd ever done before.

Nico jerked upward with a cough of surprise and discomfort. "You've had sex?" His eyes bulged out of his eyes, and he caught himself before he fell to the ground. Despite the surprise, Nico was able to now move without feeling the need to scream.

Will shrugged and looked away. "I didn't want to tell the rest of the guys. It's not really their business." Nico wanted to ask how it was his, but he knew if he asked that, he'd loss footing that felt like it was a step closer to being something more. Even though he knew that was an impossible step, he was willing to hold out hope for it. "Any better?"

Nico cleared his throat, shocked to find he barely felt any pain. He removed his other hand from supporting his junk, somehow not even embarrassed by Will knowing he'd been handling his dick and balls. "Yeah. Somehow, I forgot about it."

"Oh señor sarcasm," Will rolled his eyes as he stood, offering Nico a hand. With a groan, Nico managed to his feet, leaning heavily into Will's side. "I'd offer to carry you again, but…"

Nico held up a hand, not having the energy to even give back another sarcastic retort. As they walked, the pain slowly dispersed, leaving Nico only with embarrassment, jealousy, and most of all, a deep desire to know how Will was in bed. But he didn't mention that he could walk on his own until they reached the girl's cabins. Since both academies were located in a highly patrolled grand wall, nobody worried about any intruders. Will waved down Lou Ellen as she walked to her cabin. Instead of just a few girls, nearly all he girls Nico had met in the infirmary joined as well.

Annabeth was looking quite pale, even for her. She was the color of Nico's skin. Her eyes connected with his and a look of understanding silence passed between them. Piper looked around. "Bring anyone else?"

"Nope. They're here to see me, not flirt with anyone," Lou Ellen chirped proudly.

Reyna shoved past Lou Ellen with a snarl and stood in front of Nico expectantly. She glanced at Will. "You did a good job keeping him alive."

"Yeah, up until the creek," Nico muttered. He opened his mouth to speak again, but then his entire body was crushed in tiny but firm arms. Hazel's curly hair rubbed under Nico's nose, and it was the only reason he didn't shove her off. When she finally pulled away, she looked him over two times.

"He could eat more," she complained.

"I'm not a miracle worker," Will said. "Besides, he eats. He burns it all off spending his time brooding."

Hazel finally looked at Will and smiled. It wasn't a full smile, but it was damn close. Nico wasn't sure he even knew what he real smile was like. Few people ever knew what a di Angelo smile looked like, even if her name wasn't technically di Angelo.

"You're absolutely right," she sighed and glanced at the ancient looking yet impossibly tall clock tower standing in the middle of their training field. "We've got to get to training."

"Come on, not going to bend the rules for your cute little brother?" Will cocked his head cheekily and pinched Nico's cheek. Nico squirmed away with a scowl, muttering curses in Italian. Will sighed in exasperation. "You're his sister. Do _you_ know Italian?"

Hazel backed away with a smile. "We only met a month ago."

Annabeth smiled weakly, her eyes straining under her pallor. "I speak a little Latin, which is similar, and there was definitely a 'go to hell' in there somewhere."

Reyna laughed and shoved Annabeth away. "Come on. You need to get some food in you before training."

Piper nodded. "I've got her."

Hazel scowled. "I'm not covering for you guys if you're late."

"Nobody checks for the starters!" Reyna groaned. Hazel simply hugged Nico briefly and jogged to the training field. "That girl knows how to fall in line."

"So does Frank. I once saw him putting _back_ the extra piece of cake the lunch ladies put on his plate." Will whistled. Lou Ellen giggled, and Nico was surprised with how…adorable the girl seemed. It wasn't in a sexual way, but he hated to admit he could see Will and her together. He probably appreciated somebody who laughed at every comment of his. Nico knew he didn't have sex with her, though. He would never have hurt somebody as kind looking as Lou Ellen by fucking and leaving her. So that begged the question of, who would Will do that to? He honestly couldn't envision him with any girl just for fuck's fun.

"How's the head?" Reyna snapped him out of his thoughts. He blinked and looked at her. She had a glare that rivaled his own.

"Fine. Now." Nico said. "So you and Jason are pretty close."

Reyna's cheeks almost betrayed her with a blush, but she shook her head and coughed, disguising it. "Maybe."

Nico felt his shoulders sag. "Be careful. He's a player." Reyna glared harshly. "Just saying. You know Piper? He's got the hots for her. You're just…convenient." Lou Ellen gasped. Nico didn't even realize the other two were watching them. Now he could feel Will's gaze on the back of his head, speculating as usual. "Just saying."

Reyna's lip curled. "I don't take orders from little boys who can't stand the hilt of a sword."

Nico's eyes gleamed like obsidian. "Of course not."

She looked at the rest of them and stomped off, not another word. Will sighed. "I think I see why you like to believe yourself to be anti-social. You choose the worst people to befriend."

Nico smirked. "That includes you?"

Will laughed and looked away. "Lou Ellen, this is Nico, the one I told you about."

She looked at him with excitement. "Oh, the one with a butt like a peach-?"

"Lou Ellen!" Will shouted, shoving her shoulder slightly. He shook his head and slung an arm around the girl. "Nico, this is Lou Ellen. You know Cecil, right? They've been on and off for a while now."

Nico vaguely remembered that name before, and maybe a mischievous looking face to go along with it. Lou elbowed Will. "We've been off for a long time, Will. I'm telling you, it's over."

Will laughed. "Sure. It's over as soon as Nico wears an outfit without black."

Nico glanced down. His shoes were white converse, littered with black doodles of possible tattoos. His skinny jeans were ripped and black. The only real color was a grey shirt, but it had a black band design on it. He'd long ago abandoned his aviator jacket when it burned to ashes, so his remaining jacket was black and leather.

"He's got black all over his chest! Unfair!" Lou hit Will on the arm. Nico supposed they weren't together, but they were definitely close. He couldn't help but feel relieved. Lou grinned at Nico. "I heard you almost beat Reyna. That's cool."

"It's a talent that comes and goes."

Will laughed. Out from behind them, leaves rustled. He didn't notice it as he swung his arms around both humans at his side. "Beckendorf was first."

"First what?" Nico asked while also looking behind him. Nothing was in the woods, but he swore he heard movement. And a laugh.

"First to ask anyone to the dance. Silena." Will grinned. Then they all heard something behind them. And in an instant, a camera flashed in the faces of the two boys. Lou Ellen gasped and scrambled back while Nico shoved the blinding light from his eyes. Conner and Travis Stoll stumbled back with laughter, flipping through the camera to view the picture.

"Aw, you guys look so cute!" Conner whined.

"Give me back my camera, Stoll idiots!" Katie Gardner came running out of the woods. She barreled through Will and Nico to glare harshly at the boys. "Hand it over. Now."

"Only if you go to the dance with me," Conner snorted, holding the camera out of her reach. Katie's eyes flickered to Travis, as if checking on something. She huffed indignantly and crossed her arms.

"You have until noon. Or else I'm getting my cabin mates. And Beckendorf taught Silena how to fight." Katie looked furiously between the two boys and then stormed off. Travis groaned, calling after her as he ran to catch up. Conner laughed.

"I've got it in the bag," he pretended to dust off his shoulders before jogging towards the shouting pair ahead of him.

Nico scowled as he watched them disappear. Lou Ellen giggled, like the whole scene was just adorable. "This dance seemed like a big deal," Nico muttered.

Will nodded. "It is. It's super fun. Lou Ellen and I went last year."

Lou Ellen rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Yeah, and you spent half the dance checking out Ja-,"

"Hey! It's not every day we see everyone dressed up!" Will held his hands up in surrender. His eyes skirted to Nico's, as if unsure of his reaction. Nico tried to hide the deepening of his frown, but Will saw. It was hard to hide his jealousy. Here he thought Will was an innocent, cheery guy, and now he was hearing of him having sex and checking girls out. Nico knew feeling left out, like he had with Percy. But with Will, it was only jealousy. He spent most of his time with Will, but there was an unmistakable pain blossoming in his heart every time he heard of Will's loud sexual identity. It wasn't like he had a right to be jealous, either. Will wasn't gay. There was no chance whatsoever. Yet Nico still held out stupid, imperishable hope.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure waving at him. It was Frank, trying his best to blend in with a roaming horse, which shouldn't have been this far from the stables or practice area. He was panicked, and Frank never truly panicked. Nico sighed. "I believe I'm being summoned."

As he walked away, Lou Ellen muttered, "Does he have to be so mysterious?" Her tone wasn't as annoyed as he'd expect from that comment. She was almost amused, though he couldn't tell.

Frank was still trying to calm the horse. "I – I need major help!" Frank whined.

Nico raised an eyebrow, expecting a bland story concerning Frank's unsure footing dealing with Hazel. He was wrong. Instead, he got a story worthy of Percy Jackson's top ten stupid reasons for panicking.

"Everyone was talking about the dance, so I wanted to ask your sister, but I wanted your permission, but then I saw her horse loose, and I thought, 'Hey, what better way to impress her than to save her horse?' But now her horse won't move, and she's looking for it, and she's going to think I'm stealing her horse, and I still need to find a way to ask her that's different from all the other guys, and can I ask her? Do I have your permission? It's important in your family, and to me, but your dad isn't alive, and I just thought-,"

"If you don't stop talking, I will kill the horse with your arrow!" Nico interrupted, his face growing red alongside his rising anger. He seethed, "You can ask her to the dance, but this? This is the most pathetic excuse of a problem I've seen." He gestured to the horse with annoyance. Frank began to speak, but Nico couldn't bear his rambling again. He stomped out of the woods and waved his hands, calling attention of Hazel. She instantly started towards him, spying her bucking horse over his shoulder.

Frank looked like Nico had personally set fire to his entire body. He stomped back towards Will, feeling the headache start to return, though he had an inkling that it wasn't due to his previous injury. He was almost upon them when he saw Will shrugging oddly, his shoulders sagging more than usual.

"Come on, Will, it's not like they're going to come around," Lou Ellen batted her eyes innocently. She rested a hand on his bicep. "I hate to see you so down. Just go with me. We'll have fun like last year."

Nico felt the air around him turn brittle, hard, and all around dead of life.

"It's not even that close to the dance, Lou-,"

"If we're going to match, we need to decide now!"

Will shifted his footing, and Nico almost turned blue while holding his breath, waiting for the world-shifting answer. Why did he care? Will was straight. Even if Will didn't go with Lou Ellen, he'd go with someone else, dance with someone else. Anyone but Nico. Nico wanted to vomit. He wanted to find a shadow and slip into the dark world where no living could enter and come back out alive. He wanted to go away.

Will hesitated again before his face split into a smile that Nico didn't even need to see to know it was there. He could feel it, hear it. "Looks like we've got our dates to the dance, Lou Ellen!" Will held out his arm to her, and she linked hers through his, giggling. She nuzzled her head into his shoulder, and before forcing more insufferable pain onto his heart Nico turned and ran.

He kept running until he had hidden away into his world of rock music and dirty sheets, a place where he needed no one and no one needed him.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, it started out cute. Um, who wants to review for me please? I think my goal is to get 100 reviews bc why the frick not? For being so new to this fandom, I am really pleased with your feedback, though! I love all feedback, negative or positive.**

 **To the guest reviewer: jadestromhough, I hope I showed more instead of telling how they feel. I think I get what you mean by that, but I could also be totally wrong.**

 **To the reviewer who asked my updating schedule…well, for this story I don't really have one. I'm almost finished writing it, and as cruel as it might be, I tend to space out the chapters. If not, nobody tells me what they're thinking! I sorry. Anyways, if I don't ask for a certain number of reviews, I'll update in two or four days.**

 **We didn't meet seven reviews last chapter! :( Can we reach at least five this time? Pleaseeee, I'll love you forever!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 **Dislcaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Weeks went by in similar fashion. Nico avoided Will as much as he could. Oddly enough, he found hanging out with Jason or Percy wasn't nearly as bad as it was before. They could almost sense his unwillingness to be around Will. Nico knew he was hurting Will's feelings. He saw the puppy eyes and felt the heat of his hatred. It was almost enough. It was almost enough for Nico to cave, but he knew what would happen if he did. He'd build up these hopes and be crushed as soon as he heard mention of that cursed dance.

In the month he'd been back on his feet without a chaperone, he'd gone to the girls' school every weekend. Hazel always found time for him, but only for thirty minutes or so. Most of the time, he hung out with Reyna. She never mentioned Will, and that was all he wanted – to forget the blonde haired beautiful boy. He'd almost gotten caught many times. The only technical reason he should have been here was if his whole team sparred with Reyna's team. It happened every couple weeks, but many times he claimed they were there to spar that evening. Somehow, he just kept getting caught.

The majority of his time was spent training, though. Instead of joining the guys at the bonfire, he snuck in extra practice. He wasn't going to find himself in the infirmary again. If he had to spend three days with Will again, Nico wouldn't come out alive. He especially didn't want his hands all over him again.

Nico found his mind wandering back to that night. Apollo confirmed his previous thoughts - that he didn't need to take Nico's shirt off. But Nico had, surprisingly, gotten over his self-consciousness after he sprouted up sophomore year. The only thing he had a problem with was the touching. Gods that kid knew how to touch him. Everywhere, just right, in a way that drove him crazy. Nico didn't appreciate being touched in the slightest, but he had begrudgingly grown close to Will, and he knew it was necessary. But he never imagined how good it would have felt.

A blonde figure brought Nico out of his thoughts. He was about to bolt into the woods, but then he saw the black glasses resting on his face. Jason Grace. And he had his arm awkwardly around the shoulders of a tall, tan boy named Jake Mason. Nico knew Jake Mason. He was a very attractive guy with big hands. For all of the school year, he'd lived in the infirmary. Will checked up on him a lot. Nico knew this. He also knew how hot he was when he had worked in the forge, back before he got squished by one of the defective war machines they were building.

Nico wanted to bolt again, even if he wasn't Will.

He didn't, mainly because he knew Jake had just been cut out of his casts last month and he didn't want to chance him breaking his bones again. That, and Jake had been working out like crazy and it showed off.

"Nico, look who I found!"

Jason could be as dumb as Percy half of the time. Jake Mason was one of the few openly gay students at school. It wasn't that Nico was afraid of his peers shaming him. Somehow, he had ingrained it in the back of his head that if too many people heard about him, word would somehow go all the way down and reach the underworld, where his father surely lied. Nico felt immediate waves of shame at that thought. He'd already been left behind by accident; he didn't want his family to have a reason for him not to join them someday wherever they were.

"I'm sure it's hard to run from you when he still had torn ligaments." Nico sighed. His eyes slid over to Jake. He regarded him cautiously, still remembering his un-admitted jealousy. It didn't matter now, no matter how much he'd flirted with Will in the open. Will was going to the dance with Lou Ellen. Clearly, he'd been worried about the wrong sex, let alone person. "Back from death?"

Jake grinned. "Partially. So your heater is broken?"

Nico's head fell into his palm where he slowly muttered, "I wasn't aware." Then he glared harshly at Jason. "I'm sure you never mentioned this to Leo, either?"

Jake frowned and Jason blushed redder than when he tripped and cut himself with his sword in front of the girls' swords team, including Piper. "Didn't he hurt his leg?"

Jake scoffed and rocked back on his heels. "Uh, you don't need your legs to reach inside and reconnect a couple wires."

"We don't know that's the problem," Jason supplied, looking with annoyance at Nico for not covering him up. Nico knew exactly what he was doing, however, and loved seeing him blunder and stumble around blindly.

"When has it ever not been the problem? I ended up replacing all the faulty wires four months into freshman year because they kept short-circuiting." Jake explained, looking from Jason to Nico awkwardly. Just to make things even better, Leo strolled out of their cabin at that very moment. He was whistling a happy tune and texting on his phone. When he saw them, he paused and walked over.

"Guys, does this red match this red?" Leo asked, head turning like he as trying to put together the defective device that had crushed Jake. He showed them two pictures. One was a screenshot of the 3 second long snapchat picture Piper had posted. Half of the body was in the picture in a shimmering brown dress, and in the other half was the mirror she stood in front of. Calypso was in the back, frowning at the camera in her cocktail red dress. Nico had to squint to compare the two and came up with nothing.

"Most people get swaths or something," Jason snorted. "She'd probably get one for you, if she knew you were going to go as her unofficial date." He burst into laughter immediately.

Nico rolled his eyes. "Says the guy who is wearing a gold suit."

Jason crossed his arms. "Reyna is wearing silver. We didn't want to match too perfectly. She scares me."

Nico was relieved to hear that. Whatever their friendship was, they rarely talked about relationships. Once or twice, Nico would mention how careless Jason was of girls' feelings, and once or twice Reyna would punch him. It worked well. Still, he didn't want her getting her hopes up. From the sounds of it, they'd somehow agreed on boundaries.

"Did you get to look at the heater?" Jason prodded.

Leo frowned. "The heater isn't broken."

"Good! You fixed it!" Jason swung his arm around Leo and looked at Jake. "Seems like we don't need you after all. Sorry, dude."

Jake frowned, not totally believing everything he said. "Okay…have any of you seen Will recently?"

Leo nodded. "Yeah, he's in the infirmary. It's funny to see him moping. He goes into overdrive, like some medic-whirlwind."

Nico could see a hint of a blush on Jake's cheeks. "I know. It's cool, right? Anyways, you might want to ask Piper. See what she knows about the two colors. Or Will. He's always been good with colors."

Yes, seeing as he wore every single one of them in an entire day.

With his hands clenched, Nico watched Jake scamper off to see Will. It was silly that new jealousy flared up inside his chest. It was double the pain, he supposed. He knew he preferred Lou Ellen to Nico, and soon he'd prefer Jake to Nico, too. In the least, Jake would have his hands on Will's arms, or vice versa, and Nico wouldn't.

He blew it off. Who cared? He didn't want innocent touches by accident from Will. He wanted purposeful, lust-filled touches. Anything less was simply a delusion.

"You're pathetic." Leo snorted, slapping a hand to Nico's shoulder. "If you like the guy, just tell him!"

Nico seethed, whirling on the two boys with all his pent up anger he'd built solely for Solace. "What's pathetic are you two! You," he jabbed his finger harshly into Jason's chest, "are too chicken to even speak to Piper, instead hiding behind a girl who is actually interested in you and spending your free time trying to _hook me up!_ And with Jake Mason, of all whiny, let-me-fix-it brats? I already have to deal with Will and his incessant need to 'fix me.' Then there's Leo who pines after every girl he comes into contact with, especially the ones who shut him down! Can't you get the message? They're not interested! You know who else is uninterested in both your time? Me!"

Nico shoved through their shoulders, nearly knocking Leo off his feet in the process. He walked past the cabin, past Percy and Annabeth making out behind the cabin, and deep into the clearing. He found a tree worthy of climbing and hauled himself as far up that was manageable. Half of him hoped he'd fall off, wished it even.

He was, as many new clichés suggested, simply done with everyone and everything.

. . .

And that was exactly where he found himself the night of the dance.

He'd started out earlier that evening in emergency dress shopping with Hazel, Frank, and Reyna. Hazel hadn't expected Frank to stumble his way through eloquent proposal of asking her to the dance. It was Reyna who noticed Frank was wearing an old beat up navy suit to Hazel's black dress. Frank begged Nico to come along with them to buy him a new suit. He said he couldn't handle Reyna's piercing gaze as he tried to create a conversation with Hazel. It was clearly much harder for him to do so now that they were going together as dates.

"What do you think, Nico?" Reyna kicked his leg. Nico scowled, yanking an ear bud out of his ear. Frank was moped out of the dressing room, led by the hand of Hazel. She was beaming.

"You look lovely," Hazel gushed. It was odd hearing her level of excitement put into those words. Reyna scoffed.

"More than that. Come on, Levesque! Use your modern words," Reyna smirked. Hazel's cheeks burned and she excused herself as she stood near the window of the store for the extra chill. Frank gulped, looking nervously between Hazel and his reflection in the mirror.

Nico shrugged. "Looks good," he muttered. A suit seemed overdressed for a high school dance, though if it were up to him everyone would be wearing ripped jeans and torn black shirts.

Reyna nodded approvingly and disappeared back into the suits section. Frank sighed. "Nico, why don't you come along? Hazel won't last more than one dance in a row with me. I'm sure she'd love to dance with her brother…you're the only real family she's got." Nico stared at his hands. He didn't say anything. He didn't want to sound ungrateful of the girl's sudden familial bond with him, but it was almost insulting to him. He didn't want to replace Bianca. He just wanted her back. "Besides, I'll need somebody to help me stop Leo from spiking the punch bowl."

Nico raised an eyebrow. Frank smiled, flustered. "Right, you'd be the first to approve of it…"

Reyna appeared again. "Do you trust me?" Nico, in that one moment, certainly did not trust it. It wasn't the many times she'd double teamed him with Annabeth while sparring, or the scars he got from her sword when she didn't use her sparring sword, nor was it the resting-bitch-face she always sported that made him instantly distrust her. It was the intimidatingly black tux in her hand that did the job.

"No." Nico protested with a groan. "Not a chance, Ramirez."

"It's _Ramirez-Arellano,_ " she corrected and shoved the clothing into his chest. "And you're trying this on."

"I am not."

"Nico, you don't have a choice."

Hazel noticed their raised voices. She inched over and her eyes lit up. Then she started tugging on his arm. "Oh, please, Nico! Try it on."

He groaned. "If you stop touching me and promise to leave directly after…I'll try it on."

That was how Nico found himself staring at a black suit in the mirror as Hazel fixed a tie around his neck. He scowled. Why did they have to dress up anyways? It was silly. He was annoyed by it and he wasn't even going.

"Nico, you look hot!" Reyna shook his shoulders. Nico elbowed her side. "You're going."

"In my nightmares, maybe," he hissed and swatted Hazel's hands away. "Let's leave now."

"But-,"

"I'm taking my shirt off in five seconds whether or not you're in here."

Hazel's hands shot away like bullets and she nearly fell running out of the dressing room. Reyna pursed her lips. "You're a dick, ya know?"

When she was gone, Nico looked in the mirror again. He felt like spitting on the suit once before he changed. When he left the shop, he had a churning feeling in his stomach. The sky was darkening as they spoke. It made him feel a little more comfortable despite the flurries of snow growing heavier by the second.

The four of them walked back to their cabins before they froze to death. The guys had it worse considering they had to cross a river. Nico decided not to ask Frank for a lift like he had with Will. Somehow, Frank wasn't nearly as appealing. Besides, he had half an idea that he'd turn into a bear and go ravaging through the woods with a flopping Nico on his back. That wasn't a pretty picture.

It was an even worse picture when Nico stepped back into their cabin. The warmth wrapped around him and pulled his eyes directly to the boys ahead of him. Frank pushed into the bathroom and started stripping immediately. But Nico's feet turned to solid obsidian right where he stood. Will was anxiously pacing in front of the mirror, trying to fix his tie. His black suit was nearly identical to the one Nico tried on in the store, and he suddenly had an urge to go back and buy it, if anything than to just say he and Will matched for one night.

Will's eyes were busy, swarmed with more stress than Nico could say he'd ever recognized in them before. "Doesn't anyone know how to tie a tie?"

Nico stood there. Will had been hot to him before. He'd been cute. His smile could even come off as sexy, too. But never had Will came off a gorgeously attractive. He'd always been attractive, but this was a stunning, classy attractive Nico knew he'd never earn the status of deserving in his entire life.

Percy stumbled into Jason as he yanked on a shoe. Nico hardly noticed, but Will did. He turned towards the boys, still fumbling with his tie. His hands stopped when he saw Nico. There was that pained look of unknowing and frustration. His shoulders dropped, and his spoke his name without words.

Nico fell into the doorframe, arms crossed as he debated how to leave without breaking the boy's soul in his eyes one more time. Distancing himself had never hurt so much in his life. If it had been up to him, he'd had tugged on that damned suit and went to the stupid dance with Will.

Then, a girl stormed into the room, knocking Nico nearly off his feet. Of all people, it was Calypso in her shimmering silver gown. Her hair was neatly braided with stray strands framing her face. Even though she was going to be one of the few girls with dresses reaching the floor, she looked beautiful. That was very evident on Leo's face as he gaped over the goddess fuming in front of him. Leo was still half dressed, trying to find his black vest with red flames on it.

"I – I thought you – wearing…red," Leo slurred as drool threatened to fall from his lips. His eyes took in the girl's form again, which seemed to be glowing with anger. Her hands were clenched and she had her eyes only set on Leo. "B-but you – oh just wowwww."

"Well? Are you planning on going to the dance naked? Hurry up!" Calypso hissed, crossing her arms defiantly. Jason had the nerve to ask the obvious question.

"Weren't you supposed to be going with your boyfriend? Odysse-?"

"Shut up! I'm going with Leo. Right Leo?"

He nodded like a child staring at sugary candy.

Nico felt the need to puke. He looked back at Will. The boy was smiling slightly, like the sight of the couple made him a little happier. Nico didn't know why he had to be so intrigued by the blonde. They were so opposite. How could anyone find comfort in knowing that Leo was falling over his feet for a girl who'd ditched him until now?

Nico almost crashed through the door right into Annabeth and Reyna. At this point, Annabeth had been struggling to hide her symptoms. She did a good job at it, though. Only Nico would know the reason she was constantly taking breaks or constantly excusing herself, most likely to vomit. She wore a surprisingly orange dress that had enough 'poof' to hide her stomach even if she were five months pregnant.

She looked paler than she'd ever had before. "Don't look at me like that."

"I told you we should have let Piper put on a little blush," Reyna muttered. Reyna's dress was silver, but it was much different than Calypso's dress. At this point, Nico was tired of viewing dresses. He walked past them briskly, desperate to get away.

And that was how he found his legs dangling fifteen feet above the ground.

Nico glanced at his wrist. In all his days and weeks of solitude and mourning, Nico hadn't even had an urge to draw a new tattoo. Nico hands numbly grabbed the pen from his pocket and, without a thought, began drawing on his wrist. It was a quick design, and his mind went into that state where he wasn't truly seeing what he was doing. He looked, but it didn't come together until he pulled his hand away and dropped the pen.

On his wrist, in light faint black ink, rested a sun. It was a sketch, but it was exactly like Will's tattoo on his shoulder had been. "I'm fucked."

"Such sweet sentiments." Nico almost fell out of the tree. He glared down at the ground below, as if his voice along wasn't recognizable. Will was squinting up at him patiently, arms crossed. "How'd you get up there?"

Nico lied back against the trunk of the tree, forcing his gaze upward. He didn't speak.

Will sighed loudly. "I don't know why you've been avoiding me, di Angelo. It's not cool." That's all he had to say about it. It's 'not cool.' Nico clenched his jaw. "Don't make me get my outfit all dirty by climbing up there. You know I look hot."

Fuck yes.

"Fine."

And then Will was climbing up the large tree. It was full of thick yet narrow limbs, and Nico had found a perfect spot where he could turn in any direction and lean his back against a limb. But he didn't move and make room for Will. He really expected Will to tear his sleeve, whine about it, and mope back to the cabin. It was surprising to have the boy right under his butt, poking him to move. When Nico didn't move, Will lifted the boy's legs up and slipped underneath them.

"If we fall, it's on your fat ass," Nico mumbled crossly as he refused to even glance at Will. His mind was too focused on where his feet rested. His open ankle could feel the crisp fabric of his suit pants high on his thigh, and Nico's mind was racing. He refused to show it, no matter how unfocused he was.

Will grabbed Nico's wrist, gaze locking on the scantily drawn sun. He smiled wistfully, like it was drawn at a different time. Will didn't drop Nico's hand, and his wrist was slowly becoming electrified. He could feel his blood churning with new energy, his brain slowly becoming a jumbled mess of static fuzziness.

"So you don't hate me."

Nico's breath faltered as Will rubbed a thumb along Nico's skin. Will pretended not to notice the way Nico's body relaxed under his touch. He felt their energy doing a ballet, one so eloquent he couldn't dream of breaking it.

"Reyna showed up with a black suit. And, since black is your color, I figured…why wouldn't he wear it? So. Why wouldn't you wear it?" Will's voice was quiet, resigned. He felt like he'd done something so wrong he no longer had the right to push Nico for answers.

Nico finally managed to move his head in Will's direction. He seemed so distraught over a seemingly simple question. "Why are you here? Lou Ellen will be waiting."

Will's frown was gentle. "I want you to go to the dance with me."

Nico snorted. He yanked his hand away. "Yeah? Well, I don't want to."

Nico stood and began to climb. He couldn't stand there and listen to his games. He was two limbs above, but then Will climbed up to meet him. At this point, both boys were standing, nowhere else to go, face to face. Will's lips lifted in a slight smile.

"Then just go in general. Reyna only has the suit for tonight. Don't waste her money."

Nico remembered back when he could have rented a suit every night of his life and his father wouldn't have even noticed the difference in their bank account. Will tilted his head as he considered the option. "How are the nightmares?"

Nico leaned back against the trunk. Will countered by crossing his arms over the branch that separated them. "Shitty as usual. Haven't woken anyone up, though, have I?"

Will grimaced. "That's not the best goal in life." Nico shrugged. He glanced at the ground below them, then at Will's outfit. He had dirt all over the elbows and knees. Nico almost felt bad. "My mom called."

"What?"

Will's shoulders sagged. "She, uh, wants to talk to me about my father." Nico blinked, forgetting his vow of disbandment from the sunshine boy. He leaned forward, stepping right up to the tree limb. Will's eyes were churning, more than they should have been. "She's been keeping in contact with him all these years. Didn't think to mention that to me…he wants to meet with me."

Nico felt his chest tighten. "Are you going to?"

Will's chin rested in his hands. "I can't do it alone. I don't know the first thing about him. Am I supposed to just grab a coffee with him and make small talk?" He snorted. Nico frowned. He leaned against the tree then, close enough that Will's hands skimmed his ribs.

"Take Lou Ellen."

Will looked insulted by such a suggestion. He looked up at Nico through his lashes. "She'd started giggling as I'd start crying. Hell no." He paused. "Besides, nobody knows."

Nico knew he'd hate himself for saying his next words, but there was no way he'd let Will's eyes look so sad, not when he was dressed so nicely. "But you told me…" Will didn't say anything. His sad eyes just kept tugging at Nico's heart. "Would you go…if I went with you?"

Instantly, Will stood up. A surprised smile graced his face, replacing the cloud of darkness shading his bright blue eyes. "I thought you hated me."

Nico said through gritted teeth, "Nope." It was the truth. It was the opposite, actually. Nico wanted his distance. He needed it. He couldn't survive so close to Will with him physically so out of reach. But Will's world was on the verge of collapsing. To him, this meant more than a estranged father. This meant he was meeting somebody he may turn out to be just like in his life. This meant he would know what was to come. This meant he would know the face of the man who abandoned him. This meant his entire perspective on life could possibly change. He needed somebody.

Will grinned. "Then will you go to the dance? You'll already look better than me and my dirty suit." Nico's heart tightened. He knew he should say no. He knew he'd regret it. And yet, there was that charming smile that melted his insides.

"Fine."

* * *

 **A/N: Well…this was slightly better than a filler chapter. I'm not a hugeee fan, but I always love Nico bonding with people other than Will just as much as I love him bonding with Will!**

 **Confession: I never really thought out this story like 100%. I planned to the dance and a little after. So when I say that it's coming to an end, don't worry. It should be around fifteen to seventeen chapters. Sometimes, I feel like I just throw one thing after the other with these two with little overall plot. It's not one of the best thought out stories, but it's been one of my favorites to write!**

 **Also, I LOVE THE REVIEWS! Thank you guys so much! Now, what do we think is gonna happen at the dance? So many options. I want to hear them all! Tell me! Five reviews and we'll get the next chapter up! Love you guys!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

The dance was at the girl's school. Their eating hall was more of a banquet hall. Twinkling lights hung from the ceiling, and a drink stand was placed at the opposite end of the doors. There was lemonade, water, and even a punch bowl placed on it. The punch was red, and considering the way Piper and Jason were dancing together, there was most likely some alcohol mixed in it. Jason always followed the rules, and he was breaking two major ones: ditching his date for another girl and grinding very sexually. Next to the spiked punch sat some chips. On a table next to the chips were baked good to sell. The girls made the goods to raise money for better bathrooms.

How did Nico know this? He knew this because he and Reyna were practically glued to the punch table.

"Don't look at me like that. I wasn't into him." Reyna growled as she tipped back her punch and refilled it. "He hasn't even glanced over here."

Nico sighed. "I told you not to get attached."

Reyna's eyes flashed with suspicion. She jabbed her finger into his chest. "You knew, didn't you? You knew he was going to ditch me for her tonight."

Nico rolled his eyes and surveyed the dance floor. "I knew he had a thing for her. Never thought he'd grow the balls to ask her out."

Reyna grabbed his shoulder and jerked him to face her. Nico had never seen her eyes so full of rage. It wasn't just rage, though. He could see, underneath all the fire, tears beginning to form.

"But he had plenty of balls to ask me out, right? Because she's so much better, yes?"

All the blood drained from his face. His hand scratched the back of his neck nervously as he realized how that sounded. "It's not like that – you guys are just friends so it's easi-,"

"Just friends?" Reyna scoffed. She glared daggers at the dancing form of Jason Grace. "Then tell me, Nico, do _we,_ as friends, spend the night together at the risk of getting my butt kicked out?"

Before Nico could even register her words, she dropped her cup of punch. He followed her gaze to the dance floor where Jason was groping Piper while they locked lips.

"Figures."

Nico wanted to run after Reyna as she headed for the doors, but that wouldn't help her. He looked at Jason and Piper again and felt angrier than he had when he heard Will agree to go to the dance with Lou Ellen. Jason had promised him he wouldn't do anything with Reyna, that they'd just be friends.

Before he knew it, Nico was cutting through dancing couples and standing before Jason Grace's figure. Nico was fuming, even with the buzz he had going on. Jason grinned widely at him. "Nico, my man, you came!"

Piper wiped the spit off her lips and didn't meet Nico's eyes. She was smarter than Jason. She could at least tell he was furious, and it had everything to do with the girl in the black cocktail dress. Nico shoved Jason's chest and growled, "The least you could have done was not sleep with her! Seriously, you thought Percy was bad before Annabeth? Well, you're worse."

Jason looked shocked. He stared at Nico as his face went from smiling to horror-struck. Piper was the one to truly react, though. She looked between Nico and Jason, sickened. "You – you slept with Reyna? And you didn't even think to _tell_ me? My roommate?"

Jason paled. He turned to Piper. "No, I was…there just wasn't any time-,"

"You're either a cheater or a player. And I'm not going to be with either," Piper said. She turned around and then thought better of it. Her fist connected with Jason's eyes, almost sending him to the ground. "Don't call me."

She stormed off, and Jason stared right at Nico. He could see he was debating what was the right thing to do. "Reyna. Go to Reyna first. End it," Nico hissed.

Jason looked at him with a painful expression. "She's going to kick my ass." Nico shrugged. "You're right. Fuck. Hey, you might want to find Hazel. She and Frank had a fight earlier."

So Nico went to find his half sister. He wasn't sure how to console Hazel if she was crying. He couldn't imagine Frank making her cry. Frank knew her better than Nico did. Jason wasn't lying, though. He found the pair sitting outside on the stairs. Hazel was bickering at him, and Frank was taking it without a word.

Hazel looked up at Nico and flushed. "Nico, I'm so glad you came!" she forced an emotion of happiness to exude from her voice. Nico spotted the dried tears resting on her cheeks. Frank's head fell into his hands.

Nico patted his back and led Hazel towards the door. "What's wrong? If anyone should be crying, it's me. I hate dances."

Hazel snorted in laughter as her eyes began to water. She looked at him strangely. "Didn't you hear already?" Hazel's voice broke mid sentence. Nico shook his head. She began to truly cry at that point, and her head fell into her hands. Frank was watching them with a sick look. Nico couldn't believe he decided to do what he did, but Hazel looked too broken to bear. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the frail girl.

At first, she didn't move a muscle. He could feel the shock resonating off her body. Then, she wrapped her arms around him and cried into the expensive material of his suit. "F-Frank kissed me…in front of everyone."

Nico paused in his motion of rubbing her back, and then he continued. "Is that so bad?"

Hazel glared at him. "Yes! I could hear everyone gossiping. That's not something you'd want to share with the entire school, would you?"

Nico shrugged. "I don't like anyone as much as you like Frank. Let them all know you're with him. It's been a couple months now. Why not?"

Hazel's eyes shifted to Frank's misshapen form. Her glossy eyes met back with Nico's. "But you do have someone you like as much as I like Frank."

Nico paled. He stepped back. "What are you talking about?"

"Will. Will Solace? Remember him?" Hazel sniffed and wiped at her nose. She glanced back at Frank with saddened eyes. "If you just have a civil conversation with Will, I'll…move on from this. Hades knows Frank is more upset with himself than I am." Nico rolled his eyes. He crossed his arms and stared at Hazel, unsure if she was serious. She raised an eyebrow and looked towards the ballroom.

"I _had_ a civil conversation with him, Hazel," Nico snooted. "We're fine."

She snorted. "Is that why you've not stepped foot on the dance floor then?"

"What does he have to do with that? I hate dancing."

She didn't say anything else, only looked longingly at Frank. With a sigh, "I should apologize. I was pretty harsh on him."

Nico rubbed the back of his neck. "Are you guys…official?"

"Do you really think I'd let him kiss me if we weren't?" Hazel seemed a little surprise. Nico grinned and shook his head. "Look, I don't know the specifics of your relationship with Will, but…if it's more than friends, just know you're not doing anything wrong."

Nico paled. She knew. Did Frank tell her? Or was he just that obvious? Nico stumbled back. "W-what? I don't-,"

Hazel rested a firm hand on his shoulder. Her eyes sagged in understanding, and the faint smile threatened to console Nico's panic. "I never told you that Bianca and I spoke briefly before she left to talk to your parents. She told me about your mother. It helped me understand why he chose her over mine, though that wasn't hard to guess. I know she was Catholic, but family was everything to Pluto. You're his son. You're her son. Liking men won't change your blood or their love for you. You're the same person. So don't worry about them. Their love will be with you no matter what."

"Hazel…" Nico's words failed him. Her words took him by surprise. They'd hardly known each other longer than a couple months and here she was with her words of wisdom. It shouldn't have shocked him. Hazel was a levelheaded girl. She knew loss and she knew hardship. In a way, she and Will were very similar. Nico could almost hear those same words coming from his mouth. And he knew he'd believe them because he really didn't lie. Hazel knew their dad well, and if she truly thought he would have loved him anyways it was hard to argue with her. It would always be the thing he'd forever regret – not coming out to his parents. They died knowing the fake Nico. Now, he could only listen to what Hazel – his last family member – had to say. Coming from a girl whose morals were practically from the 1950's, it was a lot.

"Thanks, Hazel," Nico expelled a breath of air heavier than the sky itself. He patted her hand. "Nobody was looking at you. Leo took his shirt off and started dancing with Calypso on stage. No one cares about a little kiss anyways."

Hazel began to fan her face, but her smile was more relieved than anything. "Good. Thank you, Nico. Now go talk to him."

Nico spotted Lou Ellen before he spotted Will. Anyone who entered the dance spotted Lou Ellen before Will because she and Cecil were in a heated make out session right before the door. Nico took a second to make sure it was Lou. It most certainly was.

It took Nico some time to find Will. First he got himself another cup of punch where he bumped into Jake Mason. Jake was grinning and swaying on his feet. Nico followed his gaze to see Will at the end of it. Will was dancing with Silena and Katie. The girls' dates were watching them from the table beside the punch table. Will had guts to possibly make Beckendorf angry, and debatably to make Conner angry.

"I thought Travis has a thing for Katie," Nico muttered, mainly to himself. Jake was in earshot.

"Yeah, but Conner beat him to it. Travis," he pointed to the dance floor, "has been trying to dance with her all night long."

Nico snorted. "Figures," he muttered. Jake looked at him skeptically and then burst into cheerful laughter.

"You have no idea. I'm in the same situation," Jake said, as if he were the one who'd said that. Nico raised an eyebrow and looked at him in question. If he was going to be here, the least he could do was get caught up on the latest drama. Jake blushed and pointed towards Will's grinning figure. "I should be here with Will tonight. Instead, he came with Lou Ellen, but now she's outside with her ex Cecil. Will and Lou Ellen don't even _like_ each other like that."

Only one part of the equation surprised Nico. He knew Jake was gay. "Uh, why should you be here with Will then anyways? I mean…Lou is at least a girl."

Jake frowned at Nico. He snorted, "Dude, bisexuals can like either gender at any time. It's not like he's feeling girls for winter and guys for summer…though I would look better in swim shorts. I have abs."

Nico rolled his eyes and muttered, "Yeah, so do I."

But then those words hit him like a brick.

"Wait, did you say bisexual?" Nico asked. When Jake didn't respond fast enough, he grabbed the collar of his shirt and fisted it, getting up in his face. "As in, Will is…?"

"Bisexual? Yes." Jake shoved Nico off. "Will dated Michael Yew for a while before they broke up. Michael was his first time, I'm pretty sure. They worked better as friends really. When Will hooked up with Lee, though, Michael got pissed, so Will ended things. Then, Lee kicked Will in the balls and everyone was back to being bros. And that's only the beginning of Will's story," Jake smirked. "How did you miss all of that? It was bigger than when I came out to the entire cafeteria."

Nico stopped hearing him. It all made sense now. The touching. The comments. The fact that he never did specify which sex he'd fucked. The extra care. The way he'd purposefully undressed directly in front of Nico every day. The unnecessary need to take Nico's shirt off for the exam.

"Why do you care?" Jake asked.

Beckendorf had obviously been listening in. He stomped over with Travis on his heals. "Why do you think he cares?" Beckendorf said with a slight chuckle.

"Him and Will make a good couple. We took a picture of them the other day and-,"

"What?" Jake asked, looking with betrayal to Nico, whose eyes were growing larger by the second. He could feel his secret slipping out of his control.

"The dude wears skinny jeans for a living!" Travis grinned.

Beckendorf nudged Nico's side, and he jumped away from the table and the three suddenly suffocating boys. "Get your man away from our girls. We'd like to dance with them _before_ midnight."

"My…man?" Nico muttered. Jake was staring at him with scorn. He could see the disgust in his eyes, or was that jealousy? Nico's head whipped around to Beckendorf, the man who was always angry. He looked at other people, positive they were listening in. Word would get to his father. He was sure of it. How could it not? So many people knew. Eventually one would die, and his secret would be exposed to the entire underworld where his father surely resided. Hazel was wrong. It would break his mother's heart and take away all of the little pride his father had for him.

Nico suddenly couldn't breathe. How had this happened? Will Solace. Will did this to him. His attraction to Will was too obvious. Nico gave himself away by pining after Will.

Nico looked frantically between all the faces, almost falling as his head began to swim. And then, there was that glowing face with eyes that lit up the darkness. Suddenly, hot hands burned his wrists and then his entire body. It surrounded him, squeezed him, wouldn't let him fall.

"Nico, are you okay?" Will's strong voice said into his ear. Nico couldn't breathe. His eyes kept looking at the people, the people who all knew he was gay. What would they think? He knew what they'd think. The weird kid just kept getting weirder.

"N-no."

Will followed his constantly moving eyes and nodded. Keeping an arm secured around the slightly shorter boy's waist, Will pushed through the crowed quickly forming to the back of the dance floor. It was dark where they stopped, and nobody was around them. Will placed his hands on Nico's shoulders and stared directly into Nico's eyes.

He didn't think he'd ever seen such a beautiful scene, nor a more beautiful face. His eyes were always kind and caring, but there was genuine concern and near love in them now. Will's soul was reaching out desperately to him in a plea.

"Take a deep breath in, Nico." Will commanded, and he had no other strength to object. "Feel my heartbeat." He moved Nico's hand over his toned chest to feel the constant thud of his heart. "You're okay. It's just you and me now…I've got you."

Nico followed his directions, breathing in and out in exaggerated slowness. Their eyes stayed locked the entire time. It helped the room to stop spinning. And when it did, Nico slipped under his hands and squeezed Will's body desperately. He wasn't crying. He swore he wasn't crying. But somehow Will's jacket became wet.

"You weren't kidding about socializing killing you," Will muttered. Nico snorted in laughter, scared hurried laughter. Will tilted his head to spy on the now-dispersed crowd. "What set you off?"

Nico took a step back and continued doing so until he had his own space. He looked at Will, truly looked at him. And he could see it. He could so easily see Will leaning down to kiss him. He could so easily see Will with another man. Nico couldn't believe he'd been so blind before.

"You're bisexual?" Nico accused, almost like it was a crime. Will's eyes grew slightly. Nico tasted cardboard. "It's just…you never told me."

Will blushed as he reached behind his head to scratch nervously at his neck. "Well… Nico, I practically wear rainbow everything. LGBT Pride flag bracelet mean anything to you?"

Nico glanced down and spotted the thick leather bracelet with a rainbow flags painted everywhere over the white paint. Nico felt beyond stupid. So many things could have been avoided. So much pain and isolation.

"Why does it matter?" Will asked, stepping forward to tilt Nico's head up. "You can't be a homophobe, and if I'm attracted to you, it's a compliment, okay? I don't see why it's such a damn problem to straight guys. I never spoke of or touched you inappropriately, so why -?"

Nico didn't decide on kissing him. His hands acted on their own as he yanked Will's head down to meet Nico's. Will's lips suddenly had no room to speak as they collided with Nico's.

It was more than Nico imagined kissing someone would be like. It was confusing, but Will took control of the situation quickly. When Nico felt Will's lips move against his own, he suddenly understood why Percy was constantly kissing Annabeth, even if it didn't lead to anything more.

Kissing wasn't a normal behavior. It was something rare and something different from all other experiences. It wasn't something that ever had to be ingrained in their genetic urges. It was spontaneous and something to be treasured because it was a sensation all of its own. Nothing could describe it.

Will's hands pressed against the small of Nico's back and pulled his body against his own. Electricity was sparking off between them into the air and into their bodies, exciting all urges and amplifying all feelings. And finally, Nico pulled away panting.

"I'm not straight."

Will smirk shot upward. "You certainly don't kiss like a straight guy," he cooed as he pecked him on the lips again. The energy was only rallied up again, and he instantly wished he hadn't pulled away. "You have no idea how long I've wanted you to do that."

Nico scowled. "What? Couldn't do it yourself?"

Will blushed a deeper shade of pink. He released Nico's back to caress his jaw line. "The number of times I've been punched for doing that to somebody who ended up being straight is countless. And I thought you were straight."

Nico suddenly wondered just how much Will got around. He rolled his eyes. "Apparently, it's pretty obvious. Everyone else guessed I was gay."

Will's eyes sagged. "Is that why you were hyperventilating?"

Nico expelled a deep breath of air and looked anywhere but Will's piercing, questioning eyes. "I never planned on coming out so…yeah."

Will seemed disgruntled by that. He ran a hand down Nico's face again. "Nobody cares who you're into. You're still Nico. I mean…I'm glad you're gay. Either way, I'm your friend."

Nico forgot he'd just kissed the guy who had a one-night-stand with one of his best friends before. "Friend?"

Will paled. His hand paused. "No! I-,"

Will was suddenly yanked away from Nico. "Annabeth. She's bleeding. Fix her, Solace or I swear-," Percy Jackson growled into Will's ear as he dragged him to the middle of the dance floor. Nico followed him and stopped the moment he saw the scene before them. Annabeth was lying in a fetal position on the dance floor clutching her stomach. Blood had already dripped down her leg and onto her shoes.

Nico knew what was happening. And there was no fixing it.

* * *

 **A/N: Ahhhhh! They kissed they kissed! And I am so sorry for the long wait! Thanks for the awesome reviews, guys. I literally live through them. Here's a gift for you lovelies!**

* * *

 _Jason gasped. He looked between Nico and Will in shock. "Wait. Are you guys-?"_

 _"DID YOU HAVE SEX ON MY BED JUST NOW?" Leo squeaked, rolling off his bed into the floor with disgust._

 _"Why would we have sex on your bed of all beds?" Will scoffed._

 _It all was too much to Nico. That one word was everywhere. Sex. Sex. Sex. It was plastered all around them. Nico hated admitting it was a big deal to him. He didn't want it to be. But he knew all too well now just how experienced Will was. He knew how stupid he'd look trying to do_ anything _. Then his cabin mates just had to assume they had sex. Why wouldn't they, right? Two testosterone-filled guys with a place all to themselves. What would stop them?_

 _Nico. Nico would stop them._

 _"At least Nico fucked the sadness out of Will," Jason shrugged, tossing Will a bottle of Gatorade. "You'll need your electrolytes back for training today. First competition is this Friday."_

 _That did it._

 _Nico jumped to his feet and grabbed his sword, his angry glower focused directly on Will. "DID YOU HAVE TO FUCK HALF THE DAMN SCHOOL?" he shouted as he stormed past Will, slamming the door on the way out._

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 **PLEASE LEAVE ME SOME GOODY GOODIES (reviews)!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Nico wasn't supposed to go to the hospital with them. He certainly wasn't the closest to Percy or Annabeth. But when Will had said, "She's losing the baby…call an ambulance," Percy latched on to the first face he saw. He grabbed Nico and the three of them carried Annabeth outside to wait on the ambulance.

It was a quiet ride. Nobody spoke, not even the paramedics. Everyone knew. They all knew there was nothing to be done. Annabeth had already lost the baby. They couldn't fix that. But, nobody cried. Nico assumed it was for confirmation. There was no way either of them would withstand something like that and not cry, not somebody as trusting and nice as Percy. He wanted to protect his family, always. There was no way this didn't hit home.

"What caused this?" Annabeth suddenly asked. "Did I do something wrong? I read-,"

"Annabeth, these things happen for no reason all the time," Will said, squeezing the hand not occupied by Percy. Percy pursed his lips, and Annabeth fell back against the stretcher.

Chiron was following in the car behind them despite the fact that both Annabeth and Percy were eighteen years old at this point.

"I shouldn't have been dancing. I shouldn't have…"

"You did absolutely nothing wrong and everything right. It just…happens." Will continued. Nico bit his lip. Things like death seemed to just happen all the time. According to the police, the fire 'just happened' despite there being the fumes of gas still remaining in the air.

When they wheeled Annabeth away, Will and Nico stayed in the waiting room. Chiron nodded at the boys before finding a pay phone to call their parents. Their own cell phones were buzzing continuously, but neither boy decided to answer.

Nico looked at Will to see tears in his eyes. "They wanted the baby," he whispered, and Nico couldn't argue with him. He didn't know what to do. Will hadn't ever cried in front of him before. He didn't this time. He took a deep breath in and blinked a lot. They sat on the couch, and Will leaned his head on Nico's shoulder.

And they just sat there together. It took an hour for Piper, Reyna, and Jason to arrive, all together. Nico didn't want to imagine how that ride went. Hazel and Frank showed up shortly after. Thalia and Percy's mom came along last. Percy, with strikingly blood shot shining green eyes, took her back to see Annabeth. Nico could practically hear her sobs in his head.

"What happened?" Reyna asked, standing with a glare in front of Nico. He felt the need to scoot away from Will, but there wasn't a chance of him willingly removing the blonde's head from his shoulder.

Will's hand somehow had found his in the time they'd been sitting there. At this point, Nico's whole body was tingling to the point that he hadn't realized. Will squeezed it tighter, so Nico spoke. "Annabeth had a miscarriage."

"Annabeth was pregnant?" Jason and Frank shouted, alerting many other people awaiting loved ones around them. Nico scowled.

"Yes. Did anyone call Leo?"

The boys were still in shocked, silently doing math and adding up the signs in their heads. Nico turned to the girls. Piper sighed, "Leo is with Calypso. They are outside on the phone with Annabeth's mother."

"Why would you tell her mother?" Reyna hissed.

"Her mother deserves to know when her child is in danger," Jason reasoned.

Reyna turned around, snarling, "Yes, take Piper's side. Go right ahead."

"He's got a point, Reyna. Besides, I didn't tell him to," Piper said with the voice of a dove, gentle yet quiet, scared to even speak.

"Yeah? Who did then?"

"Percy," Hazel stepped forward. Nico noticed it created a barrier between the two heated girls. "Did Chiron give you guys an update?"

Nico shook his head. He glanced down at Will and shook him lightly. He blinked a couple times and looked up, but the light was struggling to shine through his eyes. Nico moved his eyes towards Hazel, and Will took a breath and nodded. He sat up.

"Annabeth had a miscarriage so right now they're treating her for her pain and getting an ultrasound to be positive. If I took a random guess, I'd say she was around 12 weeks pregnant…so they may need to help her fully dispel of the b – fetus." Will's words came out of his mouth like a betrayal. Nico gazed at him in wonder. He knew Will was caring, but this was something more than that. He was a protector of the weak, and it almost killed him to see one die for no reason. Will's head fell into his hands. "I should have pressed the prenatal vitamins more, or at least a doctor's visit."

Nico's hand shook, but he rested it on Will's back and moved in a slow circular motion. "Do you really think that would have stopped this, Will?"

He didn't say anything, just continued staring at the floor. Nico looked up and caught Hazel's staring eye. She, too, didn't comment. Leo and Calypso came in, both looking frightened near death. Nico didn't miss Leo's hand snaked around her waist.

"Annabeth's mom is a scary woman," Leo shuddered. He took a seat across from Nico and Will.

"How will they help her dispel of the fetus? Do you think we should be there for her? Is it painful?" Piper walked away from Jason, whom she'd been arguing with. Reyna had long ago taken a seat beside Nico, staring numbly at Jason, as if deciding what to do with him.

Will took a breath of air and sat back. "I don't know. It all depends on the state she's in. Most likely, considering she's under the age of 18, they'll want to give her misoprostol. Or she might not need anything else. Either way, we won't be allowed back there."

"Are you saying we should leave?" Frank asked in his quiet voice.

Will shrugged. "Maybe Chiron can sign the release form, but it will still be a few hours."

So they all waited those few hours. Everyone had sat down; almost nobody spoke. If they did, it was in hushed whispered. Leo and Calypso sometimes mumbled back and forth. Hazel and Frank had the look of needing to speak, but they both thought it was too impolite in such serious times. Jason tried to speak to Piper, but she hissed an insult and shut him down. Reyna and Nico didn't look at each other, and Will had fallen asleep with his head in Nico's lap. Nico found himself playing with the locks of gold as time slipped away.

Chiron came out first. He cleared his throat and made his way to the section of students. "Is she-?"

"Annabeth and Percy will be fine, but this is their business. I need you kids to go back to school." Chiron left little room for argument, but Piper tried as she stood.

"Just tell us…did she lose it?" Chiron's eyes flashed darkly, and Piper slowly sat back in her seat with a few muttering curses.

"Since most of you called cabs, which is against policy, Argus is bringing the bus around. Ladies, you will be dropped off first. Annabeth and Percy won't be returning tonight, so get your sleep and, by the gods, pray for them."

"Where are they-?"

"His mother's house, most likely. Until Annabeth's mother arrives," Chiron huffed. He looked among the kids. "I will see you gentlemen back at camp."

. . .

Everyone moved around in a slow, numb kind of way Saturday morning. Will didn't even get out of bed. Jason kept glancing back at Percy's bed. Somebody had made it for him, but that only reminded everyone of how he wasn't there. Percy never made his bed.

"Want us to grab you something, Will?" Jason asked as he pulled a shirt on his head. His phone was buzzing endlessly on the counter, but Jason didn't answer when he saw it wasn't Percy.

Will shuddered and turned towards all the guys. "I'm good. Thanks."

Nico felt worry run through his own veins. He looked at the guys and waved them on, deciding to sit on the edge of Will's bed. Nico didn't mind skipping breakfast either way. None of his cabin mates may have seen Nico kiss Will, but plenty of campers did. He honestly expected Leo and Jason to come back here screaming the news, as if Nico and Will weren't aware of it themselves.

Nico reached a hand towards Will in comfort, unsure if he'd appreciate the gesture. Will's saddened expression shifted slightly, and he grabbed Nico's hand. Then, he yanked Nico down on the bed to his back. Will crawled on him, head resting on his chest and arms wrapped around the boy.

Nico didn't know how to react at first, but Will didn't mind. He seemed more than content like that. Nico supposed they weren't just friends, as Will had let slip the night before. Ever so slightly, he rubbed Will's back in the comforting way Will had done to him last night.

"This is more than just Percy and Annabeth's baby, isn't it?" Nico whispered. Will moved his head lazily against Nico's chest. Nico was surprised with how good he felt holding Will, how needed he felt.

"My mom called. It's a blizzard at the nearest airport, headed for us. She might not make it, but…she wants me to meet him without her." Will's voice was muffled by Nico's chest. "Today."

Nico didn't expect Will to be scared. Maybe he really just didn't want to meet his dad ever. After he abandoned him, who would? "My offer still stands. Do you want me to come with you?"

Will pushed up against Nico's chest, eyes untrusting. "I'll probably cry."

Nico's lips lifted towards a smile. "You've seen me cry. It's only fair."

Will snorted with sad laughter. "Okay then. No leaving me when you see me cry, though. It won't be pretty."

Nico's heart skipped a beat. He almost smiled. "Does that mean we're, uh, together?"

Will really did smile this time, and it relieved Nico slightly. Out of nowhere, Will leaned forward and pressed his lips to Nico's in the lightest touch. "What? Did you think I was going to let Jake Mason think he still has a chance with me when you're around?"

Nico's lips broke out into a full throttle, unstoppable grin. "You knew about him, huh?"

Will smiled back just as brightly. "He isn't nearly as subtle as you."

Nico blushed. "You've got an interesting way of asking me out, Solace."

And then, Will was on top of him, his legs straddling Nico's waist, and he stopped breathing for a second. "Want to know just how interesting I can get, Death Boy?" Nico's eyes flashed a darkening shade, but Will didn't wait for a response before moving his lips onto the boy beneath him.

Nico was, again, surprised at how soft Will's lips were. It only made sense. Will's every touch was soft, cautious, caressing. His elbows pressed into the bed by Nico's side, and his hands ran through Nico's hair in a way that had his eyes rolling in the back of his head. Nico felt a burst of confidence, which spurred him to grasp Will's waist and yank his body directly onto his.

In response, Will purred into the kiss. Something warm and soft ran along Nico's lips, and he jumped back in surprise. Will stared at him curiously. "You okay?"

"I just – was that your-?"

Will's lips broke into a mirthful smile as wide as the sun itself. His tongue poked out of his lips like a snake scaring his prey, only Nico was far from scared.

"Do it again," Nico growled, his hand clenching around Will's shirt to direct his lips back to Nico's. Will grinned mischievously and fought slightly against Nico's strength.

Slowly, Will scooted down Nico's body and darted his tongue against the base of Nico's throat. Nico's body bucked in response, but Will kept firm hold on him as his tongue continued toward his face. Nico clenched his hands as energy ran throughout his body, all going toward one place.

"Will," Nico groaned as the blond began kissing his neck heatedly.

Will pulled away grinning. His lips attacked Nico's harder than before. Nico kissed him back just as hard. Long gone were the careful kisses. Their lips crashed together in a heat fury of lust and hunger. Will's tongue slid along Nico's lips, so Nico did the same. Their tongues clashed together, and Nico never would have guessed how absolutely amazing it felt.

Their bodies slid together as Will's hands slipped under Nico's shirt. Nico gasped and jerked away. Will immediately pulled back, sitting up straight, eyes cautious. "Sorry…?"

Nico was panting. Without Will's intoxicating scent all around him, Nico became more aware of their position. Will began to move back, and Nico felt intense pressure. "Ah, Will, you're crushing my dick. Move!"

Will's eyes went wide as he rolled off Nico's body. "Sorry. It's been a while since I was on top of a guy. Girls don't have that problem."

Nico rolled his eyes and hissed. "No shit." Nico sat up, relieved to feel that he hadn't fully crushed it. Nico caught Will looking at his lap and his fingers twitched forward.

"Want me to…check it out?" Will eye's glinted mischievously alongside his husky voice. Nico felt heat flood his cheeks and he scowled, slapping his hand away. Will laughed nervously as his skin heated. "Shit, sorry. I keep forgetting the touching issue."

Nico ran a hand through his hair. He asked the age-old question. "It's not that…this time. Though you tend to ignore that issue always." Nico looked directly into Will's intense gaze. "How many people have you been with, Will?"

Will seemed unfazed by the question, like he'd been expecting worse. Nico watched in horror as he counted on his fingers. One, two, four… "Five - no six! Two were girls. But I've messed around with…I'd say nine people total. The first two girls…poor things I didn't know what I was doing."

Nico gulped. He didn't like this. Will was more experienced than Percy, a certified player. "So your first time was…with a guy?"

Will nodded. "Michael Yew, to be exact. Then with Lee, which didn't end well. Then this guy back home. He was very possessive. I didn't really mind when I found him sleeping with my mom. I'm not positive he was even bisexual; he never let me fuck him, you know? Well, it did bother me at first. I never would've fucked Jake Mason if I weren't somewhat distraught. Then two girls from cabin 10 over at the girls' academy didn't think I was bi, only gay, so they both messed around with me but I was too nervous to have sex with either of them. And I sucked with girls, probably still do. Last year I dated a girl, though. Sex with girls is different, harder for me. I have absolutely _no_ clue what feels good to girls. When we broke up, I got drunk and slept with this girl back home. Considering she _thought_ she was a lesbian…she got mad. Kicked me so damn hard I vowed to stay out of commission for a while. Anyways-,"

"Shut up!" Nico groaned as he climbed out of bed to create space. All he could do was stare at Will and imagine him being with anyone else. He could hardly stomach it. "If you keep speaking, I'm going to puke."

Will frowned, only now noticing Nico's discomfort. "If it's not about the touching…then why?"

Nico blew out a breath of air. "I've never had sex. Fuck, I've never done _anything_ before. That's why."

Will's eyes grew wide and his mouth fell completely open. He began to speak, but then the door opened and he was assaulted with bagels until he fell back on the bed. They threw an apple at Nico's head, forcing him to turn around and beam one right back.

"Seriously, guys, this is the last time we bring you food. Get off your lazy butts." Frank said as he plopped on his bed. Jason set the rest of the food on top of Will's stomach.

"Maybe it's a side effect of fucking guys," Leo snickered, sticking his tongue out towards the guys.

Will sat upright. He beamed back two bagels and looked around, confused. "Wait. You all knew Nico was gay and you didn't say _anything?"_

Jason and Frank looked at each other and shrugged. "Wasn't important."

"Like hell it was important!" Will jumped to his feet. "Do you know what a waste that is to share a cabin and _not_ have sex where you have practically zero chance of getting caught?"

Jason gasped. He looked between Nico and Will in shock. "Wait. Are you guys-?"

"DID YOU HAVE SEX ON MY BED JUST NOW?" Leo squeaked, rolling off his bed into the floor with disgust.

"Why would we have sex on your bed of all beds?" Will scoffed.

It all was too much to Nico. That one word was everywhere. Sex. Sex. Sex. It was plastered all around them. Nico hated admitting it was a big deal to him. He didn't want it to be. But he knew all too well now just how experienced Will was. He knew how stupid he'd look trying to do _anything._ Then his cabin mates just had to assume they had sex. Why wouldn't they, right? Two testosterone-filled guys with a place all to themselves. What would stop them?

Nico. Nico would stop them.

"At least Nico fucked the sadness out of Will," Jason shrugged, tossing Will a bottle of Gatorade. "You'll need your electrolytes back for training today. First competition is this Friday."

That did it.

Nico jumped to his feet and grabbed his sword, his angry glower focused directly on Will. "DID YOU HAVE TO FUCK HALF THE DAMN SCHOOL?" he shouted as he stormed past Will, slamming the door on the way out.

People had stopped outside his cabin, all obviously having heard him. Nico shoved past the small crowd, all eyes on him. Jake stood at the back of the crowd, grabbing Nico's arm. Of course he'd be around. Of course it would Jake fucking Mason.

"Are you okay?" Jake asked, and Nico noticed there was that look in his eyes. The look he'd always had for Will. Jake's hand moved from his wrist to his hand, holding both of his around Nico's. Nico's glare only increased. "What's wrong?"

Nico grabbed his hand and flipped the kid to his back. He bent down and growled, "Don't. Touch. Me. Ever."

Jake's eyes were the size of saucers as Nico shoved off him.

When he reached the practice range, nobody was there. And Nico was finally in his element. He released all his frustration on the dummy, sending it to shreds within an hour.

And still, Nico wasn't subdued. He doubted he'd ever be able to swallow Will's superior experience.

* * *

 **A/N: I love you guys! It was short, but it is definitely one of my favorite chapters! The next one (or maybe the one after) is really good to me. Anyways, can we reach five reviews again please? For me? I had a shitty day yesterday, so start me off better today please!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Will didn't know where that outburst came from. Normally, he could sense when Nico was about to burst. He supposed he had been caught up in his story. It happened from time to time. Really, Will just didn't want Nico to find something out about his past that he'd forgotten to explain. Besides, didn't Nico _ask_ him about it?

"What was that about?" Jason grumbled suspiciously. Jason and Will never had that 'bonding' moment like Jason had with Nico. In fact, Jason was the only one of his cabin mates left that Will hadn't hung out with one on one. Everyone had stumbled upon Leo at least once and wondered what he was up to with his tools, which usually spurred an in depth conversation. Furthermore, Will was good at making people open up. He got Nico to, which was saying something. Frank had actually come to him for advice with Hazel. As different as Hazel and Nico were, they shared the hesitation with being touched, Hazel more than him. And after going through everything with Percy, there was no way they could have avoided being comfortable around each other. Jason just made Will feel odd. He was so happy on his own, and normally it was Will's job to cheer people up.

"Uh…Nico thinks I'm a whore, I guess," Will sighed, scratching at his head. Leo burst into laughter.

"Since when did anyone slut-shame guys? The problem is spreading to the gays - who's next? Straight men can't sleep around?" Leo barked out in laughter. He tossed Will another bagel, which made at least five. How big did they think their stomachs were?

"That's somewhat offensive," Frank said uncertainly and looked at him, "right?" Will just rolled his eyes and waved a hand. He never took anything Leo said seriously. "So are you guys together?"

Will flopped back onto his bed with a groan. "I thought. Now I'm not sure."

Jason huffed in annoyance. "Somebody go calm Nico down."

"On it!" Leo announced suddenly. Will slightly feared his ideas of calming Nico down. Frank did, too, because he followed him out mumbling a curse under his breath.

Jason sat across from Will, elbows pressed into his knees. He was thinking. Will watched as his mind spun on end. He waited for him to speak, sure he would. And he did. "You didn't have sex."

Will raised an eyebrow in question.

Jason shrugged. "Nico doesn't strike me as one to have lube lying around…and I stole yours last night." Will snorted. Normally, he'd find that funny, but now he was indifferent. He couldn't forget the look on Nico's face, the disgust so plainly written. "He doesn't think you're a whore, dude."

"Really? When did you lose your hearing?" Will asked as he looked at the ceiling. "He practically told the whole camp his thoughts. And he's right. I guess I have gotten around." Jason beamed him with an apple, and Will glared at him, feeling distinctly like Nico. "I just thought…I don't know. I just thought we'd work after last night. He was there for me without even thinking about it. I didn't expect this to matter."

Jason finally rolled his eyes. "He doesn't think you're a whore. He's intimidated. Unlike you and your constantly optimistic mood, most guys get a little embarrassed about not knowing what to do, _especially_ with sex."

Will didn't understand, at first. Then, he considered what Jason said. "But he's so – you know!" Jason crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow. "He's so mysterious and hot and _sexual!_ The way he just looks at me…there's no way he's a virgin."

Jason's face twisted into discomfort, and Will remembered whom he was talking to. "Okay…what if I told you I knew for a fact he's a virgin?" Will's head whipped

around, sure he was pulling his leg, but Jason's eyes were sharp and sure. His breath left his throat sharply, and suddenly Will's anger felt unjust and very out of place. He felt stupid.

"Fuck." Will groaned, pressing his palms into his eyes as he fell forward. "I'm an idiot. I ruined this because I'm an idiot."

Jason nudged him with his foot. "Hey, you didn't ruin it. Nico's been into you since the first day. He'll come around."

Will glared at him. "Being attracted to me will only push him further away when he feels like we can't do anything." The worst part was that he didn't care about the sex. He didn't care that he was inexperienced. Now that he thought about it, their second kiss was definitely better than their first. He was stupid not to realize. Will never was truly jealous of Nico's mysterious past because his subconscious knew it'd take a lot for him to be close enough with anyone to allow them to freely touch him. He looked at Jason with straining vision. "How do I tell him it's not a big deal…if it's a big deal to him? He'll think I'm not attracted to him."

Jason let a loud laugh escape his lips, throwing his head back in the process. When Will didn't laugh with him, he stopped, still smiling. "I'm sorry, are you serious? You guys practically undress each other every morning."

Will was too worried to find that endearing or hot. He sighed deeply and looked at Jason. "What do I do?"

"Talk to him. You guys have a problem communicating with about everything," Jason stood. He grabbed his practice gear. "Let him cool off. Find him later when he'll actually listen to you, not run away."

Will hated admitting it, but Jason was correct. He let out one more sigh. "Okay. Let's go train, I guess." As the two walked out the cabin, Will still didn't like leaving Nico to think he wouldn't like him if he wasn't experienced in bed. It couldn't be well for his health.

Will didn't get much time to think on that note, though. When they stepped through the door, Jake Mason was directly below the pair. And he was angry. For a second, Will was reminded of the time he'd tracked him down a week after they had sex. He was very pissed Will had been avoiding him.

"Who was Nico screaming at?" Jake asked, immediately clinging on to Will, who shook him off to the best of his abilities. Jason pretended to look around with his eyes before looking directly at Will. Jake huffed indignantly. "I was afraid of that."

Jason scoffed. "What, _now_ you're into Nico? Where was that when I tried to set you up?"

"You tried to set Nico up with Jake and not me? What is wrong with you?" Will demanded. This was news to him, very unsettling news. He knew just how attractive Jake was, but he also knew how easily he scared people off. Jason rolled his eyes.

"You were Lou Ellen's date? We thought you two were a thing!"

"I only went with her because I thought Nico was straight and wouldn't go with me!" Will whisper screamed. They'd re-attracted the previous crowd.

"So Nico's not straight?" Jake asked with too much hope. Will ignored his question but stomped on his foot, making the kid stumble. Jake got on his nerves, and he was a hard person to annoy. Will looked around.

"Jason, you're not getting let off free for this," Will hissed. He didn't have the intimidation game down like Percy or Nico, so Will grabbed Jake's arm and pulled him along the path towards archery. They had more or less privacy. Eventually, they stopped. "And you! Since when are you pursuing Nico?"

Jake straightened his shoulders. "Why? Jealous?"

Will had to mentally scream at himself to keep from yelling, pulling at his hair in the process. "Yes! Over Nico, you idiot!"

Jake looked infuriated. "First, we have sex. Amazing, beautiful sex, and you just dump me. And now that I'm finally moving on you want to take him just like you took my happiness?"

See? This was why he couldn't even consider a relationship with Jake.

Will rolled his eyes. "The fact that you called what we did 'beautiful' makes you incredibly delusional. I don't even know if you're seriously going after Nico or if it's to just make me jealous, but either way, you don't need to out him to the whole school!"

Jake seemed surprised. "He's really gay?"

Will groaned. "Just mind your own business, Jake!" He began to walk away, but not a second later did he hear Jake's voice.

"Will, wait, I think you re-broke my foot!"

Will didn't have the patience to even glance back.

. . .

Nico didn't eat lunch. He trained straight through it. Will knew because he watched him train straight through it. When he approached him, Nico just disappeared, something he was too good at for his own good. It was amazing how he could do that and extremely frustrating.

Will came around near dinnertime. He was going to resort to shooting him with a stun arrow to make Nico come to dinner. So he sat on a hill overlooking the training area, waiting on the horn to signal dinner. He quickly got bored, though, and began to just stare at Nico. Even in the cold, he was dripping sweat. His muscles rippled underneath his thin shirt, and Will had a strong urge to run down with a coat and ice. Surely he'd be sore after continuous training all day long.

As the horn for dinner blew, his phone rang. Deciding to give Nico more than a minute to begin leaving, Will accepted the call.

"Willie-pooh? Is that you?" Naomi's voice wasn't the comforting voice of a mother. It was scratchy and worn out, its tissues wrinkled from excessive cigarette use. She used to be a wonderful singer, back before his time. He'd heard praise be given from the older folk.

"Mom. Hi, is everything alright?"

"Everything is wonderful!" She exclaimed, voice rising in excitement. Will felt his stomach turn. He knew that tone. Something was going her way, which only meant to further destruction when it crashed and burned. "I caught a ride to see you! We can have brunch tomorrow morning together, just the three of us!"

A dry, sand-papery taste filled Will's mouth. He had trouble speaking, or swallowing. "Uh, I already asked my boyfriend to come, but that's good because I'm not so sure-,"

"Sweet, cupcakes! We'll both be meeting each other's partners. How exciting?"

 _Partners._

Will felt the food from lunch begin to come up. He stumbled and lost his footing on the hill as the phone dropped from his hands. Unable to stop himself on the steep hill, Will fell to the bottom of the grassy hill, not noticing any injuries if they were there. He stared sideways at the phone a few feet away, unsure how to respond. There were shouts in the distant, somebody yelling. Will wanted to yell.

When he fumbled around and got the phone to his ear, Naomi had continued talking, not noticing his disappearance. Will cut her off, for once. "D-did you just say partners? As in, you're seeing my self-centered, family-abandoning father again?"

Naomi began to stutter with her words. "Y-yes, didn't I mention this? Only words, nothing sexual…yet," she finished with giggles. Will thought he was going to be sick. He saw people near him, but all he could hear was his mother's boisterous laughter.

"Don't you remember, he left you with a five-month-old child to raise? Have some self-respect, please!" Will shouted into the phone. A twig snapped nearby, and Will looked up to see three boys staring down at him, though the two in the back were conversing with each other, trying to step away obviously.

"Willie, I-,"

"I have to go. We'll speak more on this tomorrow," Will ended the call without giving her a chance to say goodbye. He knew how she hitched the ride here. He knew she had probably had double the amount of sex she'd been having when he was home. He knew she was in her own little bubble of a world, and that it was okay due to the mysterious checks that came through the mail. And it was all fine because he knew she was, above all else, happy. She didn't cry herself to sleep anymore. She didn't fall apart when she'd catch a brief glance of Will and his familiar aspects to his father. She didn't fall to the kitchen floor in sobs still.

But now his _father_ was about to come and take that happiness – that blissful though somewhat naive happiness – away from her.

"I've got this guys."

"Dude, he doesn't look like he's in any shape to talk about your problems."

"I said I've got this."

Will's head snapped to the last voice, the one in the middle. A black-haired, fair-skinned boy loomed above him. He'd been waiting for his moment alone with Nico all day, and here it was, and Will couldn't say a damn thing.

Nico simply sat down beside him and pulled his knees to his chest. He didn't say anything for a long time. As Will's crushing news turned from grief to anger, he gained more control. At least, now he trusted himself not to cry when he spoke.

"Come here to tell me to listen to myself? Have some _self respect_?" Will mumbled as he mimicked Nico's position, resting his chin on top of his arms.

Nico blew out a breath of air. "I came here because I was worried about you. You took a nasty fall and then some." Nico finally turned his head to stare at Will. "A relationship is more than just sex, right?"

Will didn't know if he trusted Nico's words, but he nodded his head glumly, guiltily. Nico seemed to expect that answer. Next, he scooted close enough that their bodies were touching. "I'm here for you first. The other stuff…we'll figure it out later."

Will couldn't imagine the strength it took for Nico to say that. If Jason was right, he probably was feeling very stupid at the moment. Will took a shuddering breath. Carefully, so as not to alarm Nico, Will sat behind Nico, his arms draping over the slightly smaller boy's shoulders tightly and pulling him against his chest.

The words slipped out numbly. It felt nice, he supposed, as he spoke into Nico's ear, chin resting on his shoulder. Nico leaned back into him after a minute of stiffness. "My mom – she's coming to brunch tomorrow – she's _seeing_ my dad again."

"The one who left you?"

Will's voice was as glum as his eyes. "The one and only." Will wasn't surprised he wasn't crying. He was only surprised he didn't when he saw the look Nico was giving him. It wasn't pity, and that was a problem. Will could handle pity; he was used to it from teachers to the kinder men his mom brought home. Nico just understood. He saw his frustration with his mother. He _heard_ him, truly, without judgment. "She's going to lose herself again, Nico. And I don't know how to stop it."

Nico sighed sadly, remaining quiet as thoughts swam around in their minds. Then, he turned slightly so they were looking directly at each other. Will was surprised by how brightly his near-black eyes reflected the glowing sun. Nico's darkness helped ground him.

And then he spoke words that Will never expected to hear from him, in such a confidant tone, especially for Nico. "There's a lot of 'if's and 'could's here, Will. You could talk some sense into your mom, if she'll understand reason. You could scare your father away from her, if he's the intimidated type. You could guilt your father away, if he's the guilt-ridden type. You could beg for him to leave her away, if your pride allows you to step down to your knees…in a nonsexual way." Will snorted, glad for his comic relief. Nico's lips lifted up slightly before returning to his solemn tone. "Or, you could realize that there's not a big chance you can stop it, and you could just be there for her for as long as it lasts. Because you're Will, and you love your mom, right?"

Will expelled a breath of air. For a moment, he considered all of Nico's options despite the obvious scorn he'd laced through each one. "I love my mom."

Nico nodded. He rested a hand over Will's, which both rested over Nico's heart. "And you'll still try one of them, knowing you. But be realistic, okay?"

Will never was attracted to Nico because of his 'pick me up' words of wisdom. At most, he only ever expected Nico to understand his family in ways that boys from perfect homes simply never did. And these weren't pick me up words. He didn't tell him things would be okay. He didn't lie. He was being…realistic. Maybe it was tinged with his pessimistic view of the world, but maybe that wasn't the worst thing in the world.

"I love you."

Nico's face turned whiter than when he got knocked out weeks ago.

"Woah! I'm – not – seriously? Forget I said that. I – blurted out. Just – Nico? Breathe."

Nico finally blinked, but that didn't relieve Will for one second. Will shook Nico's body within his arms. Nico's obsidian orbs stared at him with confusion that quickly turns to a glare.

"T-that's a big word for me. Don't toss it around like candy next time, Sunshine," Nico berated casually, as if it didn't bother him. But he was still tense in his arms.

"I'm sorry, really. It's – um I don't know why I said that. I've never said that before. Except to my mom." Will blathered, running a hand through his hair. His hands were sweating, and he prayed Nico didn't notice.

Nico scoffed, sounding more like himself. He settled back against Will's chest. Will breathed in the scent of Nico even in his sweaty state, which was oddly very attractive to him. Despite his normally cold skin, Nico really was warm, and Will didn't think he'd ever get used to having him against his chest. It wasn't that he was much tinier than him, either. He'd bet Nico would beat him in an arm wrestling contest, but Will's torso was slightly taller than his, the perfect height to rest his chin on Nico's shoulder and bury his face in his growing locks of black.

"Yeah? I've said it three times." Nico leaned his head back, and Will couldn't resist the urge to press his lips to the boy's exposed neck. Nico didn't stiffen this time, so Will stayed like that, innocently.

"You've got to be kidding," Will murmured against his warmth.

Nico sighed. "Twice to my mother, in Italian. Once to Bianca."

"Your parents surely…"

"Sometimes my mother would, when we were separated for a long time. Contrary to most Italians, Mamma didn't like spoiling the word," Nico laughed dryly. His eyes had glossed over into comfort, into his memories.

"And your dad? What do you call him? Papà?"

Nico glanced over at Will, who'd tilted his head sideways in order to stare at Nico's face. He was hotter than he believed himself to be, Will decided, way hotter. Nico wore an impish smirk. "Yes. Um…he might have said it to me. When he thought we wouldn't escape New Jersey together. But, uh, I don't know if he meant it."

Will found that disheartening. He and his mother said it whenever they departed, even just for a run to the store. However, in a way, Will understood what Nico's mother had in mind. He only wished they hadn't been so greedy with their expressions of love. Nico, clearly, didn't realize it.

"They meant it. Parents who say it, even only once, mean it forever." Will said. Sounds of voices singing reached their ears. Will spotted the bonfire sparking to life in the distance. He chuckled.

"What?" Nico said, scooting back further against Will's chest. He was very aware of Nico's butt now pressing against his crotch, and for the sake of not bringing up this morning, Will prayed for the first time in his life not to grow a boner.

He pressed a light peck to Nico's cheek and grinned. "I always loved the bonfires before I met you. After, I always knew it'd be better if you were there with me. But now?" Will laughed. "Now I don't want to move from this spot ever."

Nico rolled his eyes – Will could sense it more than see it. "You're a lying ass."

"Really-,"

"You want sex, Will. Don't tell me you're not hard because your dick is pressing into my back right now." Nico sighed dejectedly. So. Jason wasn't lying. He could see it in his eyes – not disgust but jealousy, and not of a person. Of Will. Of his 'experiences.'

Will laughed with nervousness, plastering his cheeky grin in hopes of bringing a smile to Nico's face. "I was hoping you wouldn't notice."

Nico snorted, but it wasn't up to Will's standards. "Pretty hard not to…not that I really mind."

"You don't?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "I'm a dude. You're hot. Not a problem, Will. It's just…you know what to do. You've been with guys who know what to do."

Laughter slipped out of his lips without permission. Will's hands pressed firmly to Nico's chest as smiled gently at the boy. "Nico…I just sort of confessed my love to you. I never came close to that with Michael, and we dated for months and fucked for most of them."

Nico crossed his arms and glanced away. Now it was starting to bother him. Will rubbed his thumb across the bare skin above his shirt. "You're more than a guy to fuck. For the longest time, I didn't think that would ever be possible for us, so it was all feelings I had for you. I was going to be as close as you let me, sex or no sex."

Nico pouted haughtily for a minute or so before looking back at Will. "You'll change your mind when you see me fumbling around not knowing how to even do head."

Will grinned mischievously at the mere mentioning of that, even if the message wasn't perfectly clear. He scooted his lower body even closer to Nico. "It's _give_ head, babe, but if I find your lack of knowledge this adorable on its own, you're really going to turn me on when I show you how to do it all."

Nico hesitated with his sulking glare. "Show me?"

Will's hands ran down the length of Nico's body, enjoying the firmness of his muscles and the way his abs contracted against his hands. For somebody who knew so little, his hot badass image wasn't affected one bit. "Yes, show you. We have the same parts. And even without that, us males are pretty simple. You've jerked off before so you've got the hand job down. You're already better than any girl."

Nico didn't seem convinced.

Will's hand finally made contact with Nico's crotch, and he jumped in surprise, but he didn't completely pull away. Will whispered in his ear, slightly more desperate than he'd intended to. "Besides, I'll do all the work. You don't have to do anything…"

Nico's breath grew uneven, and he sucked in a large amount as he melted in Will's arms. Will could feel Nico's member twitch beneath his hand. He began to lift his waistband up, but then decided against it.

Nico had long ago closed his eyes, and in a shaking voice he said, "Y-you can…if you want to."

Will smirked. He wanted to, all right. "Seeing – _feeling_ your dick would bring me no greater joy, Death Boy, but…can we take things slow?"

Nico stiffened immediately and growled.

"Not because of you!" Will assured, pressing a kiss against his cheek. He moved his hands back to Nico's abdomen, not done there at all. "I've been with so many people and-,"

"That's okay. Getting around…I didn't mean to imply you were gross or anything," Nico muttered his best attempt at an apology. Will loved it. He smiled widely.

"I'm glad, but still. Aside from Michael, I've only had flings that never led to anything special. And even with Michael, we never took it slow. I like the anticipation. I want it, if that's okay."

Nico smiled, only for a second, and probably assumed Will didn't catch it. "Yeah, okay. For you, I guess."

Will grinned and tightened his grip around Nico's waist, nuzzling back into the sweat around of Nico's hair, only to have Nico gripe at him for it. He'd enjoy this, Will decided. He'd enjoy this waiting a lot.

* * *

 **A/N: I really loved this chapter. And I really love you guys! You're better than my few friends, I swear! I just took the ACT saturday for a third time and literally killed everything and then practically failed the science :) :) :) So, I hope you guys will send me some love! Can we please reach five reviews this time? It makes for a quicker update!**

 **ALSO: check out my new one shot ab Solangelo! It didn't get many views, but it is one of my stories I am actually proud of (for the moment it can change on a dime, don't worry). Like I know I'm shitty, but the little plot is kinda hot kinda cute. Idk…it's called Slashes to Stitches, and try it out** **please!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Will and Nico were walking away from the training area side by side. Nico eyed the rising flames from the campfire. He didn't know he had been staring until Will asked, "Did you want to swing by?"

It was an easy question, but Nico knew there was more implied. Really, Will asked, "Are you ready to go public?"

Honestly, Nico didn't know. At this point, he didn't have a big reason not to come out. His friends all knew, and they didn't care. He wasn't scared of anyone 'bullying' him, either. Everyone knew he wouldn't hesitate to stomp them down into the pits of hell. Again, he had that feeling about his parents somehow hearing.

Nico grabbed Will's hand as he leaned heavily into the man's shoulder. He sighed, "My mother was raised strictly Catholic, and so was my father, but she was _very_ religious." Now they stood at the fork between their cabin and the campfire. Will gazed patiently at Nico, which got on his nerves. "I never told them I'm gay."

Will seemed to understand the predicament. His brows pulled together as he turned directly towards him. Nico's eyes were right in line with his lips, and the height difference annoyed him now that he was forced to look up. Will lazily cupped his cheek, and he didn't shy away this time. "You're not concerned about the other campers…"

Nico felt silly as he spoke, but he couldn't help how he felt. "I know my parents are dead, I do, but…it still feels like they could hear. It's dumb."

Will shook his head. His eyes were dark, for once, and held Nico's feelings in their blue orbs. "Your parents loved you, Nico. They wouldn't stop loving you because of your private sexual interests. It doesn't change you or your family." Nico opened his mouth, but Will beat him to it. "And even if your mother didn't approve, it'd only be because she's worried for your soul."

He gulped. Nico didn't find his words 'world changing.' It was just nice to be reminded of that sometimes. It was nice to know somebody as pure and good as Will thought that way. Taking a shaky breath, Nico decided the best time to take a chance would be right now, with Will by his side.

He raised a suspicious brow. "So what? We walk in holding hands? Can we get much gayer?"

Will wiggles his eyebrows. "That's the point, Death Boy. Everyone is talking. They won't all go silent at once."

Nico reluctantly jerked his head in a nod. Will smiled and gave Nico a quick peck on the lips before stepping back. He wound their hands together and pulled them along the path to the bonfire. Everyone they knew was at the opposite end of the fire, and Nico was about to walk around, but Will decided on the direct route. He walked around the campfire, past large groups of people. Nico could practically feel their breath hitting him as they whispered about them and their hands. But when he looked up, he realized less than half had turned to look at them. Some called out to Will, waving. One even winked at the boys, to which Nico fell back to watching his feet.

Will chuckled happily, and Nico was relieved to see he bounced back from his mother's news quickly. He'd never seen Will so defeated and confused.

"People are whispering," Nico grumbled.

"Want me to kiss you? That will stop the whispers," Will snickered as they reached Jason. Nico rolled his eyes. He definitely didn't want everyone gasping and pointing.

"Aw, did you two make up?" Leo teased. Frank shoved him.

"You two good?" Frank asked. Will nodded cheerily as they sat a row above the three boys. Jason was texting furiously on his phone. Frank saw them looking. He turned around with a sigh. "It's Piper - not Percy."

The mention of Piper's name reminded Nico of his fight with Reyna. He wondered if they were okay or not. She was a little cold to him at the hospital, but it was better than what he'd been expecting. He didn't want to text her, so he made a mental not to not freak out about their tedious friendship until he spoke to her in person.

"Any progress?" Will asked. Nico frowned as Jason dropped the phone and began his story about how Piper was crying last night at 3 in the morning after Annabeth sent her a text to say that she needed her to send her some clothes. He almost gave a word-by-word playback of what she said when she called him. They talked all night long.

"Shouldn't we ask you two the same thing? Any progress dealing with your slut, Nico?" Jake sat down directly beside Nico as he clamped a hand on his shoulder. Nico instantly let go of Will's hand to shove Jake off the edge of the log. He grumbled as he stood up, wiping off the dirt he'd acquired on his pants.

"That was a little unnecessary," Jake huffed as he took his seat once again by Nico. "Don't worry - I didn't come here just to berate your two's little power walk. Leo!"

Leo turned around with a phone pressed to his ear. His whispered into it, "No, it's just Jake Mason...I'm not going to ask him to speak to you...I know he sounds feminine; he's gay...IF I AM NOT INTO GUYS AS WELL HE IS NOT COMPETITION."

Nico and Will burst into laughter. Jake rolled his eyes as redness crept into his cheeks. "I do not sound feminine."

"That's what you think," Will snorted. "And you wondered why Nico picked me over you?" To prove his point, Will let out a deep manly growl, and despite however stupid it sounded, Nico admitted it was somewhat attractive. Of course, Jake had a very deep voice as well. It was just fun to tease the kid.

"Sorry. Calypso isn't used to actually liking me. Controlling her jealousy is a learned behavior." Leo shrugged and faced Jake, slapping him on the knee.

"Why do you think it's okay to hit me?" He huffed. "I was in a full body suit only three months ago!" He paused as most of them laughed around him. "Anyways. Leo, I heard you're working on my dragon."

"Your dragon?"

"Yes, and I want in. After all, I found the blueprints."

"Yes. Then you almost got killed by the blueprints." Leo scoffed. "Besides, I redid all the wiring and added a new circuit. It's practically all mine."

"I don't need credit, but I need something to work on. That's easily the most interesting thing here," Jake said. Leo frowned.

"You almost died because of it. I don't want you messing up and hurting Festus."

"You named it?" Nico interjected. Maybe he wasn't the only crazy one here.

"Yes!"

"What if I could guarantee she'd be ready by the first - and biggest - tournament?" Jake grinned. Nico, thoroughly exhausted by this conversation, glanced at Will.

"You're staring." Nico mumbled.

With a frown, Will looked at Nico. "I like it when people smile. You should smile more often and then I'll stare are you." Jason cracked up and full-heartedly agreed with Will, bumping his fist with the other blonde's. It was a teasing and cheerful sight that Nico didn't expect to see from two of the few closer people in his life.

"Whatever."

Even with Jake's pouting attitude, Nico had to admit he had a good time at the bonfire. The conversation was light and avoided most of his touchy subjects. And, when Nico and Will were two of the last people around the dwindling fire, nobody laughed when they started making out. Until Chiron came and blew his horn in their faces. Then Jason and Leo, who had given away their spying positions, fell out of the cabin window laughing.

Nico wasn't even that embarrassed. It was sort of hot and definitely worth it.

. . .

Will was up, but he wasn't moving. They both slept in longer since they didn't have to make it to breakfast. However, Will didn't seem to be moving. Nico had to steal his blanket to get him to even show signs of life.

"Let's just skip it and have sex."

Nico dragged him out of bed. From the floor, Will flashed his pearly whites with that mischievous smirk in his eyes. Nico forced himself to keep his eyes focused above Will's head; if he looked anywhere near his chest or below, Nico would be tempted to take him up with the offer.

"No and no. Come on. You've got to show your dad what he's missed." Nico huffed as he threw his blanket across the room. Will showed his uncommon glare, which did nothing to affect the stern look on Nico's face. Will groaned and pushed himself to his feet.

"Fine."

Nico had to pick out Will's outfit for him. If he hadn't, they wouldn't have made it there before dinner. Nico had never seen Will so nervous before. He grabbed his hand to keep him from biting off every single nail. Will didn't even smile at Nico when he reminded him it was a bad habit.

They were standing outside the Grand Entrance Hall waiting on their cab when they passed Apollo. Will waved at him. He was getting in a cab of his own. Apollo glanced up, exposing the dark rings under his eyes. Nico frowned. Their teacher never looked so disheveled before. Will noticed as well. They walked towards him, but before they could reach the cab, Apollo slammed the door shut and the car sped off.

"That's odd," Nico mumbled. It only hurt Will's mood. With a sigh, Will leaned more of his weight into Nico. He adjusted his footing and kept Will leaning on him until the cab came. As they neared the restaurant, even Nico began to get worried. He could only imagine what thoughts were running through Will's mind. "Does your mom know – oh, yes, you told me."

Will continued biting his other hand and nodded. "She doesn't know about you specifically." Nico's eyes grew wide. "I mean, she knows of you as the friend I have a thing for. She doesn't know we're together."

"Uh…"

Will's eyes were moving around without warning. He could hardly keep the world straight. "He's a blonde, right? I have to get my hair from somewhere."

"What's your mom's name?"

"Naomi. If they kiss, I'm leaving."

"Do you – will she hate me?"

"If he tries to hug me, I'm leaving."

"Will."

"What if he's a homophobe?"

"Will!" Nico shouted at the same time that the cab jerked to a halt. Will seemed to come out of his trance. He got out of the cab with a sigh, facing Nico.

"Sorry. Yes?"

Nico clenched his hands, refusing to get angry. He knew it was a big deal to Will, but this was a big deal of his own. He was meeting Will's mother. He was meeting both of his parents actually. Shouldn't he have been prepped, even just for his mother?

"Is the lady jumping up and down at the table on the patio your mom?" Nico gestured to the front of the small, unique café. In front they had metal seats, and there was a tall, thin woman with surprisingly died blonde hair. Nico could see brown roots growing in. The woman was very beautiful and she flaunted it, exposing a bit more of her boobs and legs than she needed. Nico could see her thin ribs poking through her tight dress.

He was relieved to see that the fourth chair was empty, for now. At least he only had to meet one parent at a time. As soon as Will entered the miniature gate, Naomi came crashing into him, ripping the nervously smiling boy away from Nico. He could see she was trying to 'hold her baby boy in her arms,' but she was much too small to even appear to be holding Will. Instead, Will lifted her off the ground and nuzzled into her neck. As much as she had put him through, Nico felt the way Will loved his mother was something he chose to do. It wasn't easy for him, but he chose to forgive her without anything in return, and it was something profoundly mature and brave of an eighteen year old.

Naomi had tears in her eyes as she clasped Will's head in her hands, peppering his entire face aside from the mouth with kisses. This got Will smiling, and eventually laughing. "I missed you so much!" Naomi slapped him upside the head. "It wouldn't hurt to call every once in a while?" She stepped back and huffed with finality. Then her eyes wandered towards Nico. "Is this the gorgeous boy you've told me about?"

Nico's and Will's faces instantly lit up. "Uh, yes. Mom, this is my boyfriend, Nico di Angelo. Nico, this is-,"

"Boyfriend? Since when?" Naomi gasped, nearly jumping up and down again. Nico tried not to look to alarmed from Naomi or Will. Boyfriend. He said 'boyfriend.' It was the first time he'd used that, and Nico was surprise by how much he liked it. Naomi composed herself. "Sorry, sorry. Please, sit. I told your father to come in ten minutes. Now. Nico, tell me all about how you two came to be." They followed her to the table cautiously.

"W-,"

"No, Willie, I want to hear it from him," Naomi patted Will's hand, firmly ending his attempt at an explanation. Nico blinked in surprise. Not many people ever requested to hear something directly from him unless he was doing them a favor. He knitted his eyebrows and tried to find a good way of explaining.

"Okay. Well, we were friends for a while. I didn't know he's bi, and he didn't know I'm gay, and our idiot cabin mates didn't find it in themselves to enlighten us. Then, he dragged me to the dance two days ago-,"

"By climbing a tree and ruining my suit, mind you," Will interjected with a grin. It was a forced smile, Nico noted. He wasn't really here to introduce Nico to his mother; he was here to meet his father after eighteen years.

Nico continued while fighting back a smirk. Although, he didn't think Naomi would mind seeing Nico as the seemingly dark and dirty boy he came off to be. "Yes, well, then I found out he was bisexual, but everyone also found out I'm gay. I got a panic attack, and Will helped me through it. And that's that, I guess." Nico left out many details he didn't feel like sharing with his boyfriend's mother.

Will looked impishly between Nico and his mom. "He left out the part where he kissed me."

Naomi instantly grew a smile as Nico shot Will a death glare. "That's so adorable, boys! And Nico, don't be ashamed. Sex is a key part of a healthy life." He didn't think his or Will's faces could be any redder. She waved a hand flippantly. "Well, tell me more about yourself, Nico."

So for a good fifteen minutes Nico skirted around touchy subjects with Naomi. It was when they were nearing twenty minutes that Will voiced his complaints. "He's ten minutes late."

Naomi sighed and patted his hand again. "I know, Willie. He'll be here."

And when he came, he didn't just surprise them over his arrival.

. . .

Nico's first thought was 'Why was their anatomy teacher here?' Nico's second thought was 'I knew it.'

Apollo had a large rectangular gift in his hands, wrapped in blue paper with miniature suns all over it. He sat it down by the table and stood before Will. Everyone had risen out of their seats from either nervousness or shock.

Apollo stepped forward with a confidant smile, but Nico spotted a few beads of sweat beading on his forehead. "Hello, Will. It's nice to…stop lying to you."

Naomi was biting her nails, much like her son normally did. Instead, Will could only manage to stare. Slowly, his features turned calculating. When he didn't answer, Apollo turned to Nico.

"Ah, I don't recall making you."

Nico scowled. Apollo extended his hand and Nico shuffled closer to Will, nudging him. "I'm with Will."

"Isn't that great? They're dating!" Naomi squealed in excitement and made her way to cling onto Apollo's arm. "Will, sweetie, don't be rude."

Nico held back a growl. Instead of forcing Will to acknowledge Apollo's presence, Nico asked the age-old question. "So why didn't you tell him straight away? He shadowed you for an _entire summer_." He had trouble concealing the venom in his voice, so he didn't try very hard. Nico didn't realize how protective he felt over Will. This was just so wrong.

Apollo's smile fell. He glanced at Naomi, who began biting her nails again. "I know how attached Will gets to people. I didn't want him to appear and then disappear, like he did with me."

Nico heard sincerity in her voice, but he firmly disagreed with her. Will wasn't one to get attached too easily. He'd had numerous one-night-stands, if that said anything. Two of his previous partners and best friends died, and he somehow came out with a smile. "Shouldn't you have thought of that before you traipsed every guy in town through your house?"

Naomi wasn't so much offended as she was shocked – shocked that he knew about that. Then she looked at her hands and sat down quietly in the chair. She didn't say much after that for a while, and Nico realized he did come off a little harsh. He didn't feel bad about it though. It also snapped Will out of whatever daze he'd been in.

"You were worried I'd get attached to my own father." Will repeated, like the words didn't make sense to him. Nico's gut twisted. He had a feeling they wouldn't get to order food before they left. Will let out a harsh, berating laugh. He faced Apollo. "And you didn't think I'd get attached to the idea of a father at all? You didn't feel that stabbing in your heart every time you spoke to me, knowing you were lying straight to my face?"

"Will, you've got to understand-,"

"No, I can't seem to comprehend why. Were you scared? Was the great Apollo scared? Or were you still unsure if you wanted to be in my life after eighteen years of contemplating?" Will's fists were clenched and shaking dangerously. Nico wanted to grab his hand, but he knew it'd be of no use. The young blonde's eyes connected with the wrapped shape beside the table. "What is that? An offering? You can't buy me, _Apollo_."

Whether or not Apollo had considered every possible outcome, this surprised him. If Nico hadn't heard Will's worried thoughts for the past two days, it would have surprised him, too. Will had never been so angry before. Nico didn't know it was possible. It scared him. For Will to be so angry, he must be hurting. The idea of pain squeezing Will's heart and mind made Nico want to pull out his sword then and there, if he'd been carrying it.

"I – I know that. I just knew you've been needing a new bow, and now that your tournament is coming up…" Apollo shrugged and gently scooted the wrapped rectangular case holding his new bow towards the boys, who were practically facing off against Apollo alone at the moment. Will snarled and kicked it away.

"You can't suddenly assume a father's role. You're my teacher. You're my _coach._ Did you expect me to rejoice in knowing that my father has lied _to my face_ for almost four years? Really? Aren't you supposed to be smart?"

Apollo, for once, was speechless. Will sneered. He looked at his mom with only slightly less anger. "And you're really going back to him? He'll just drop you on your butt with a big fat check in a few months for me to pick you up off the ground like last time. The only difference is that I won't be there anymore."

"Willie," Naomi had tears running down her cheeks. Will's scowl hardened as his eyes grew glossy. He grabbed Nico's hand and practically shoved him through the metal gate. "Willie, please! William…"

Nico and Will had stormed out of earshot, and they weren't intending to return.

* * *

 **A/N: So I'd like to thank everyone for staying with this for so long. It amazes me that it's such a large story; I intended it to be a four or five shot when I first thought about it. So here's a couple things. 1) I believe I wrote this part before I started reading trials of apollo and I didn't know much about Will's mom other than the name I looked up. 2) I would like to thank jelsamaleval for trying to be my beta. She couldn't bc she hasn't posted a story, but it made my day when she offered. If anyone else wants to beta for me on this or just one shots, let me know. 3) I am sick with who knows what right now and things kinda suck so for the third time in a row, I'm asking for pity reviews, lol.**

 **Lastly, I need to know what you guys would prefer. The next chapter or the one after (idk for sure) has a little smuttyish scenes in it. Now normally, I just give an extensive warning. I don't go all the way descriptive, but I go a little more than T. But it's such a small part I like rating this story T. So would you rather me change the rating or give an extensive warning?**

 **Btw, I've got another two shot in the works. It will be called 'Friendly Encounters.' Keep a look out.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

 **Disclaimer: I only own the plot.**

* * *

Will's hands were shaking as they rounded the corner. His breathing was fast, and his eyes couldn't settle on one thing. Nico felt his stomach twist. He knew that feeling. He knew what it felt like to be overwhelmed with rage, overwhelmed with everything. He also knew the risk Will had of turning off all emotions.

"Booze or sex?"

"What?" Will hissed, not looking towards Nico as he searched the street.

Nico shrugged. "I'm obviously a fan of alcohol, but you being a doctor…I'd bet you're looking for someone to fuck right now."

They came to an abrupt stop as Will sneered, "Did you miss what just happened? I love you, Nico, but now is seriously not a time to be insecure."

In any other circumstance, Nico would have flipped out. He could feel his lungs start to close. Still, he forced his body to calm down. He shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest.

"It's what you do, Will. You were upset about your break up with Michael and slept with Lee. You were upset about your break up, got drunk, and slept with some girl. I'm seeing a pattern here."

Nico didn't mean to be smug about it. Will rolled his eyes and glared harshly at him. "You're being a dick right now, you know that? Have a little compassion, could you?"

Nico sighed impatiently and grabbed Will's shoulders, facing him in the direction of the shop across the street. "This place doesn't card anyone. And since you probably want to fuck it out, I'll need some alcohol."

Will's frown didn't falter, but he did raise an eyebrow. "You want to have sex?" Nico didn't have a definite answer for him, but it at least got his attention. Will's shoulders sagged. "Sorry. I just…"

"Will, I get it. You need to let out some steam." Nico nudged his side with a small smile. "Brooding is my thing. Don't take it."

He almost smirked. "And you're really willing to have sex to keep me happy?"

Nico felt like he was about to swallow the world. "Yeah. I mean…it's no big deal. You had a rough morning."

Will took a breath and exhaled stiffly. "You're such an idiot," he said as he wrapped his arms around Nico suddenly. Lips muffed in Nico's hair, he murmured, "Let's get drunk. No sex."

"But you always-,"

"Not always. Break ups are sad. But Apollo…he's – he's just," Will stuttered, getting heated again. Nico wasn't used to hugs. He hadn't hugged someone in a long time, not that he could remember. But Will was so warm, so Nico snaked his arms around his torso and hugged him back.

"I know. Come on. We've got all afternoon to drink," Nico grinned. He hadn't drank after the fire. He had no one to drink with. Normally, Bianca would insist on joining him, bringing along a friend here and there. His old cabin mates also drank occasionally on the weekends. Luke showed him this shop. It was the closest and easiest to buy from. But Charles was the one who was always up for a drink; he was up for anything they spoke of.

Will moved his arm around Nico's shoulders and pulled him across the street. "Hey, did you say you loved m-?"

"Shh, not the time," Will said. "Beer. Focus on beer."

"Vodka."

"Of course you want vodka."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing…"

"Shut up."

"Make me."

"I will."

"Mhmm, I like the sound of that, baby."

"Really? Baby? Of all names?"

"I'm having a break down. Don't judge me."

. . .

That's how they ended up in the woods. At first, it was just the two boys, but once Leo found them and their alcohol (beer _and_ vodka), he got all the guys together. Annabeth and Percy hadn't returned yet, which gave Piper a reason to drink. That influenced Jason to drink. Reyna had come and left, distrusting herself with alcohol around. Nico thought she really was still avoiding him. Neither Hazel nor Frank would drink, but Frank did at least show up. It was Calypso who reigned in Leo. Nobody ever minded that they had class tomorrow. Most of the teachers had heard about Annabeth and Percy, and Nico was hoping they'd cut Percy's friends some slack.

For a while, things were fine. Nico could see Will's mind tearing itself to pieces every second he was left alone, but the alcohol seemed to subdue him for a while.

Piper came running over with Jason, as always, on her tail. She grabbed the hands of Nico and Will, pulling them to their makeshift bar on a tree trunk. "Let's do shots!" Jason grinned.

"Even better!" Piper slurred, eyes bright with alcohol. Nico calmly sipped his sprite and vodka mixture, seeing if this idea of hers would stick or not. "It's a couple's race! First couple to finish one beer each, like one for each person, wins. Here's the hitchhh…while one person drinks, the other has to give the drinker a hickey!"

Nico almost dropped his cup. "Piper, can't you get Leo and Calypso to do this?" Nico whined. Will scoffed.

"No way. Let's do it." When Nico glared at him, he slung an arm around his shoulders. "Pleaseeee. I'm sad, remember?"

"You look pretty happy to me," Nico grumbled. He normally hated PDA, but that was with other couples. He'd never had a boyfriend to kiss around other people before. Oddly enough, the idea didn't totally disgust him. He'd much rather not do it, but it was Will's night after all. With a heavy breath, Nico finished his drink, took a shot of vodka, and looked around. "Fine. I'll drink first."

"Yay!" Piper squealed. By this time, a very drunken Leo had stumbled upon them. He grinned and looked between the boys.

"Gonna have some funnnn?"

"Leo!" Calypso chastised, chasing away another drink from his hand. "Just watch and see who the winner is with me, okay?"

Leo sulked on his phone but nodded. With a wide smile, Will grinned at Nico. "Okay, Piper, how do we do this?"

"Stand behind the drinker. You have to have at least one good hickey on the side of their neck or you lose automatically. Makes it harder to swallow…and think."

Nico felt worse for her more than anyone. In her state, anyone would have trouble swallowing. He grabbed a beer and gulped. Nico really hated beer. The taste alone would make him want to gag. Still, he'd had his fair share. Glancing behind his shoulder, Nico cringed inwardly as Will pressed a peck to his cheek.

"Ready?" Calypso asked. Piper and Jason were beside them in the same position. "Go!"

As Nico started drinking, Will's lips locked onto his neck. Instantly, his throat closed up and his mouth watered for something more fulfilling than beer. Nico fell back into Will and struggled to down the beer as he attacked his neck. "Lean your head back," he breathed. Nico did as told, and it was a bit easier to drink, but it also gave better access for Will. His hands snaked around Nico's waist and pulled him close, and Nico almost choked as he had to stop himself from groaning.

When he was finished, he was out of breath. Will gave a shout of excitement seeing as Piper was having trouble swallowing the taste of the beer in general. Grabbing a beer and thrusting it into Will's chest, Nico stepped behind him. He hadn't done anything like this before and was suddenly plagued with fear. But when he heard Will snicker mischievously as he cracked open the beer, the alcohol pushed away any hesitations he had.

"Nico and Will take the lead! Look at Will's red face, aww!" Leo narrates, and only then did Nico notice the camera's light shining in his eyes. "This is so going on twitter. Look at Piper – she's gonna pukeeee!"

"Nico," Will jostled him out of his thoughts. The blonde sent him a wink, and that was enough to have him stand behind his back. Nico was not that much shorter than Will, so he was almost as perfect height for this. As Will started to drink, Nico started kissing along his neck. Somehow, Will seemed very affected by just the smallest of kisses. It made Nico smile, but he remembered it had to be a hickey. So then he found the one spot that made Will completely halt his drinking. This time, Will leaned into Nico, but he had no trouble supporting him.

He never imagined Will would react so strongly. Nico continued sucking on his neck, but he lost track of time. He didn't even hear Leo yell, "Will and Nico are the winners! They – they are still going at it? Guys, you can stop!"

Will had other ideas in mind, though. Soon, he turned around and yanked Nico's lips up to his own with a groan. His hands gripped Nico's butt, pulling the boy into him.

"Fuck, Will, could you have made that hickey any more obvious? He trains shirtless, remember?" Frank's voice somehow cut between their lips, and they jerked apart. Will's eyes caught on to Nico neck with a proud glint.

Looking around, Nico realized everyone had just seen him make out. It was astounding he wasn't having a panic attack at the moment. It was such an intimate thing. "Now everyone will know he's mine," Will wrapped his arms around Nico's chest and pulled him into his. He rolled his eyes.

"Like Jake?"

"Especially Jake," Will purred in agreement. Laughing, Leo ended the video. Calypso promptly laid it into him about being all 'cute' with her. Will pressed a kiss to Nico's cheek. "You're my favorite boyfriend."

Nico sighed. "Again with the names."

Will laughed, an honest laugh. Despite his annoyance with the bubbly character, he was glad to see him somewhat back to his original self, though he knew it was mainly due to the beer flowing through his veins. "Come with me."

He dragged Nico to their tree – the one Will had climbed in order to convince Nico to attend the dance. He fell against the trunk, holding a red solo cup filled to the top with liquid, and opened his arms. Nico scowled. "Sit with me. Come on. The others are all on their own. It's just us."

He rolled his eyes. "If it will get you to shut up." The ground was colder than he imagined, and it took some effort before he finally settled between Will's legs. They took turns drinking from the cup while Will's hands roamed through Nico's hair. It was fine. Until the text came.

Nico felt the absence of Will's hands for a little under twenty seconds. Then, he couldn't be sure Will was even breathing. He turned to the side and noticed the phone sitting on the cold forest floor, the message clear as a bell.

 _Willie, call Apollo or me. We need to know you're okay. - Mommy_

Nico's eyes went wide. He didn't expect his mother to have the guts to say something so soon. Will kept staring at the phone, body not moving. Nico bit his lip, reached over, and locked his phone for him. Will's hands tightened around Nico's waist.

"I'm not crazy, am I?" his voice was soft and quiet, very unlike Will. Nico tilted his head back and stared into the bleary blue eyes. "What he did was wrong, right?"

Nico absently ran his fingers up and down his thigh. He shrugged, secretly hating how unsure of himself Will sounded. "If you're upset, you're up upset. Nobody needs to validate that." Will's chin rested on Nico's shoulder. "If I were you, I'd have taken the bow and left."

Will scoffed. "It was sitting on my bed after dinner."

Nico grinned. "Make him empty his pockets for nothing then. Nice revenge to me."

In response, Will drank a good half of the contents in the cup. They sat there for a long time. "What's it like having a dad?"

Nico scooted back further into his chest. His head lolled to the side as he looked up at Will, surprised to see silent tears forming. Nico frowned. "It's…" He wanted to say annoying, that it wasn't all it cracked up to be, but Will knew. He knew having a dad was better than not. Nico sipped from the cup, feeling the world slipping out from beneath him as he spoke. "You don't have to care about anything. You have no responsibilities. It's like you have somebody to show you where to go. It's…nice."

Will's body seemed to sag even further. He swallowed hard and wiped at his cheeks. Nico felt like his heart was breaking. When Will finished their drink, he started to truly cry.

"I don't get why he didn't want me…until now," he choked. Nico pursed his lips. "I was fine without a dad – we got by…but he was _here_ all along. I don't understand."

"I don't either," Nico whispered. "He's crazy to have left." Then he thought better of it. "He's even crazier to not come back sooner. Everyone loves you, Will. It's impossible not to. Apollo is just dumb. Forget about him."

Will blinked furiously, so Nico wiped a thumb across his cheek. "I love you, Death Boy," he mumbled with a slight slur of his words. Nico's chest started beating faster. Since when had this become such a common phrase? Since when had it made everything so much better?

He wanted to say it back, but the words wouldn't form. So instead, he pressed his lips to Will's. With Nico's mind a little fuzzy, he felt like fireworks shot through Will's lips and into his body, lighting him up. The blonde wasn't totally into it at first, so Nico resorted to drastic measures. He straddled him and leaned forward. "The cabin's empty."

A smirk spread about Will's lips. He didn't say no this time. With a devilish smile, Will pecked him on the lips and pushed them off the ground. He slung an arm around Nico's shoulders and started walking away. When Leo asked what they were doing, Will flipped him off. "Knock before you enter, boys!"

It was only then that Nico realized what was about to happen. He'd never been with anyone before. It was no longer the experience level that alarmed him. It was the idea of having sex with a guy. It was a lot to handle, even when he had a strong buzz. Rounding the cabin, Will's hand slid down Nico's back and squeezed his butt.

"I love your fucking ass," Will purred into his ear excitedly before bounding up the steps, tugging the other along. Hot energy shot through Nico, straight down his body and towards his lower extremities. Suddenly, Nico didn't care. He wanted Will.

When Nico opened the door, Will shoved him inside and held him against the wall. Their lips crashed together unwillingly like the ocean, loud and brash and totally uncontrolled, but it was inevitable. Will licked along Nico's lips as his hands sneaked under his shirt. The coldness made Nico gasp, and Will took that opportunity to search out Nico's tongue with his own.

Nico took initiative and pulled off Will's shirt. He shoved Will off him so he could get a good look, and when he did, he held back a moaned. "Fuck," Nico breathed, feeling his member start to twitch. He shifted uncomfortably in his pants, and Will didn't miss that. He smirked and stepped forward, lips pressing into Will's softly, rhythmically. "Should we do it on Leo's bed just to piss him off?"

Will tilted his head curiously before tearing off Nico's shirt. He smiled dangerously. "No. My bed. I want to know your cum is in my bed."

"And yours," Nico pointed out as Will's eyes attacked his chest. Physically, Nico knew he had a good body. He knew it was 'attractive.' But seeing Will with utter lust in his eyes made it ten times hotter.

Will shook his head and reached for Nico's hips. "Uh uh. You're the only one having an orgasm tonight."

Nico's heart dropped, and he stepped aside, sitting on his own bed. "But…aren't you – don't you want-?"

Will sat across from Nico on his own bed with his smile spreading. "I'd fuck the shit out of you, Nico. But we're not ready for that yet." When he saw Nico begin to protest, Will grabbed the boy's wrists and yanked him forward. They fell back on the bed together, and Nico didn't miss the way their hips and other parts seemed to find plenty of friction. Will kissed Nico softly. "Just let me show you what it feels like, okay? So when you're doing it to me, you'll know just how much I love it."

Nico's scowl didn't disappear until Will's hand snaked into his pants. His eyes shot open, as did his mouth. "Fuck," Nico breathed as he practically collapsed into Will, who snickered in response. Nico felt a wave of need surge through him, and soon he'd straddled Will, hands forcing Will's arms back. Nico didn't know where this was coming from, but as his tongue licked along Will's lips, he knew it felt great.

Nico made his way back to his neck, remembering Will's reaction outside to neck kisses. "Nico, no-," he shut up immediately when Nico pressed his lips to his neck, soft kisses at first. Then, he started to suck and even dared to nip at his skin. "Nico…shit! Take off my pants!"

"Really?"

Will's eyes clashed with his as he panted, "You're so fucking hot. If I cum, it's not ruining my pants!"

Nico scoffed as he murmured against the bottom of his throat. "I don't think this is going to make you-,"

Will's hand grabbed Nico's and placed it directly over his member – his incredibly hard member. Nico halted, but his hand didn't stop moving over Will's dick, hidden by jeans. He knew it'd feel good to him, so that's what he did. Will's hips bucked beneath Nico. With a smug grin, Nico pressed a kiss to Will's lips as his hands found Will's buckle. Once they were off, Nico began on his underwear, but that was where Will gasped and shot up.

" _No_!" he said, nearly out of breath. His body was heaving. Nico rolled his eyes and scooted back on his legs to give him room, raising one eyebrow. "This is yo-your first time."

He huffed. "And this is a shitty day for you. You should get what you want."

There was a war raging between their eyes. Will glanced at Nico's pants. His hands rested on the boy's hips. "Yeah? Well I want you to grind your hot body into mine and kiss me senseless. Then, I want your dick in my mouth. How does that sound?"

Nico felt waves of energy shoot straight to his dick. In an instant, he had his pants off. The moment he settled back onto Will, both boys let out satisfied groans, falling back onto the bed. Nico hands ran all over his chest; he'd been itching to do exactly that since he saw him shirtless, which was when they met. He enjoyed viewing each little freckle along his upper chest and shoulders. He never realized how good freckles looked on Will's nose and cheeks. It made him look alarmingly adorable, though at this moment, Nico couldn't call Will adorable in the slightest.

His hands pulled Nico against him, and his lips sought out the other's own. They kissed with a hunger Nico never knew existed before. Tongues sliding against the other, teeth biting and snipping, lips swollen. Nico felt his body pulsing, and it only intensified as Will flipped them over and began kissing down his neck.

"Will," Nico whimpered as he began making another hickey to match the opposite. Nico's legs hooked around Will's body, and he chuckled into Nico's throat, making him buck his hips in response.

Will started kissing down his body, so Nico knew what was coming next. To his excitement, he had no qualms or worries whatsoever. He wanted this. He wanted Will to lick and suck on him in a way he'd never imagined.

However, the blonde took his time getting down there, despite Nico's nearly desperate pleas. He was having much fun on Nico's abs, licking them and tracing them with his tongue. Then, he looked up through lidded eyes as he pressed kisses around Nico's belly button. "What do you want, Nico?"

"I –," Nico strained under his body. Will's hands had started inching down his boxers, and he was having a fit at that. "Dammit, Will…" He waited, patient as ever with just tracing his fingers over Nico's hips. It infuriated Nico to no end. "I'm not saying it."

"Say it. Be dirty for me, di Angelo," Will smirked, eyes twinkling with a mixture of mirth and lust.

"No." Then, his hand went under Nico's boxers, and everything changed. His voice turned into a commanding growl. "Head. Right now!"

Will chuckled lightly as he shimmed Nico's boxers to his ankles. Nobody had ever seen this part of Nico, but Will's smile didn't fade, so neither did Nico's confidence. He could feel Will's breath on his very hard dick at that moment, and it took all his power not to take his own hands and do the deed; Will was such a tease. He looked up at him, and then in one swift move, ran his tongue up the member, eyes locked on Nico's the entire time – until Nico was unable to hold them open any longer out of pure and utter ecstasy.

. . .

It wasn't a life-altering event. It didn't shift Nico's world. In fact, nothing changed with him. He was still Nico. He was still good, or as good as he was before. There was one single difference, and that was only concerning Will.

When a guy causes, sees, and hears what goes on in your body as you see stars, he gets a deeper understanding for who you are, instinctually. Nico wasn't scared anymore; Will didn't threaten him. Though he still hadn't done anything himself, he knew Will would be happy with whatever and whenever he tried something.

Head resting on Nico's chest, Will stares up at him, finger skimming across his chest. "You okay?"

Nico snorted and smirked. "Yeah," he sighed breathlessly. "Are you?"

"I dunno. Mouth's a little sore, I guess," he grinned, but the joke was only halfway there. They were both thinking, thoughts spinning uncontrollably. It was quiet as Nico listened to Will's soft exhaling of air. He was tired, that much was obvious. Nico ran his own hand along the muscles of Will's back.

"What are you going to do about Apollo?" he whispered because he knew it was what Will had been thinking about. Maybe it was better to speak instead of letting thoughts taint memories.

Will's blue eyes fell under Nico's without a fight. He took his time finding an answer. "He's always sent us money, you know? We had everything we needed…except him. I don't know. I always imagined hating him instantly from the start and not caring about him ever again." He turned on his side, hand running along Nico's abs unconsciously. Will didn't even meet his eyes.

"But you do like him," Nico saw the problem. Will nodded glumly. "Maybe let him explain why he never came back. There's no good excuse, but…it's a start."

Will scoffed, "A start. An eighteen year old gets a start with his father." Nico didn't let his harsh tone bother him. There was deep, aching sadness in his voice.

"You're better than he deserves," Nico whispered as he kissed Will's forehead under his soft hair. Will smiled tightly.

"I love you, Death Boy," he said, and Nico wondered how often he used those words. He meant it; the deep, true emotion in his words never were lacking. He'd just have to get used to hearing them.

When they kissed, Will pressed for more. Nico pulled him onto his lap, enjoying the way his heat warmed Nico up. As Will's tongue slipped into Nico's mouth, Nico moved his hands down to grip Will's butt, pulling his yellow underwear down in the process and making both boys groan into the kiss.

And then came the large crowd of boys crashing through the door.

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A/N: YaY! You guys still like this story! Thank you for your kind words and get wells. I'm better and am fully out of pity review requests just so you know! Lol, but here's a sneak peak at chapter 16 just because I'm too lazy to update!

* * *

 _As Will's lips found Nico's, sparks of hot energy flooded through his body. They were in direct public, with boys rushing around them constantly. But at this point, Nico didn't care. All he cared about was Will's soft lips and his fluent tongue. Nico didn't dare to grab his butt, which was exposed to the hall, but his hand did manage to slip under Will's shirt, producing a breathy groan from the blonde. His eyes twinkled as he pulled away, nodding to a passing teacher who was sending them the stink eye. "See you later, hot stuff," Will winked and shoved off of him._

 _Nico ran a hand through his hair and smothered the smile threatening to grace his lips. So maybe Will was grieving. Was it really the worst way to grieve, though?_


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot.**

 **Warning: I think I forgot to put a warning on the last one? I'm so sorry! It doesn't get too descriptive here, but there are hints.**

* * *

Nico didn't care about a lot of things. He didn't care about being naked in front of his friends, though he preferred to keep his pants on at least. After everyone was so normal about his sexual orientation, Nico wasn't really fazed about them seeing him getting frisky with Will.

Will, of course, found the situation both alarming and hilarious. Will jumped off Nico and pulled his underwear up while shoving an article of clothing over Nico's crotch. Both boys were blushing red, staring at the gaping three.

Of course, Jason was drunk. He slurred, "You guys are gro-oss." Frank looked like he was about to pass out. And Leo? Well, Leo started to giggle. And then so did Will. Soon, Nico couldn't help by join in, smirking with hushed chuckles.

"Deal with it, my homophobic lovers," Will cackled and slung an arm around Nico, pressing his lips firmly onto his. Nico grinned but shoved him away.

Leo finally stopped laughing and he eyed them suspiciously before leaning into Frank's ear, "I think they did do stuff this time…"

"What gave it away? Nico's lack of pants or the stain on your bed?" Frank crossed his arms. Leo flopped on the floor like a fish, pulling at his hair.

" _My_ bed?"

"Kidding," Frank grinned. Leo sighed in relief. "There's no stain."

"BUT THEY'RE NAKED ON MY BED?"

Frank fell against the wall in a fit of laugher, and Jason joined him. Nico rolled his eyes as Leo began to gag. "Nah, I get to sleep in my bed knowing Nico's cute ass was all over here."

"You're so gay. How are you the bi one between us?" Nico shoved Will hard enough to make him fall off the bed. Will flipped him off and instead jumped on top of Nico's legs hard enough to make the boy grunt.

"So…what did you guys do exactly?" Jason wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Blood rushed to Nico's cheeks, and his head jerked towards Will, who was equally as embarrassed. They stood there, frozen, for forty minutes of horribly awkward silence. Nico wasn't sure anyone was going to break it. Even the talkative Leo had shut his mouth in favor of frowning suspiciously between the boys on the bed.

"Move."

It had been so long since Nico had heard Percy's voice he almost didn't recognize it. It didn't sound like normal. It was rougher, deeper. Older. He'd grown two lifetimes in one week. The three boys split apart deftly as Percy walked past them.

Percy's eyes ran across the room. He didn't comment about Will lying on top of Nico or that their clothes were strewn all over the room. All he did was sit down on his bed in the same tux he'd been wearing to the dance.

At this point, nobody knew what to say. He sighed and finally met eyes with everyone. "You can stop staring. I'm glad to see you guys, too."

His voice was broken and injured. Percy's hair was unkempt, like he'd been pulling at it the entire ride here from New York. He looked with uninterested eyes at Nico and Will.

Tilting his head, he said, "You might want to put some clothes on."

With curious hesitation, Will grabbed a pair of his underwear from his drawer. "Why?" Nico asked suspiciously.

Percy didn't answer, and the moment Nico stood up and turned around to pull the underwear on, the door once again opened. The remaining boys at the door nearly sprinted for their beds as Chiron walked through the door. Leo hid his mouth of giggles underneath the bed, and Jason tried not to stumble in his drunken state. Frank just mumbled a curse under his breath and trudged to his quarters.

Chiron looked over Percy and analyzed everyone else. He gave a grunt of disproval and nodded. As he spoke, he paced back and forth casually. "We've decided to make some changes, gentlemen. From now on, there will be increased patrol throughout the camp. For those of you sneaking to the girl's camp and back, consider that out of question. You will be allowed visits throughout the evenings, but you will be required to stay away from sleeping quarters. Does this satisfy your…needs, Perseus Jackson?"

Jackson fell back against his pillows and flashed him the thumbs up with all casualty.

Chiron's eyes fell onto the two unclothed boys. He frowned. "Will there be a problem here, boys?"

Will grinned cheerily. "Nope. Can't get a man pregnant – I've tried."

The look on Chiron's face was enough to make Nico grin. Chiron didn't know how to respond for a moment. He cleared his throat. "Very well. I expect you six to be examples for the rest of the school. Stay focused on your training for Friday."

"Friday?" Percy grunted, staring at his hands in his lap.

"We have our match against the Titans Friday," Frank informed him sullenly. He blinked and nodded but showed no signs of interest. Nico remembered the not so long ago days when he'd whoop and holler, pumped for the match a week ahead already. His stomach twisted.

"Get your rest. I'll see you tomorrow."

He shut the door and the room was silent. Percy let out a dead, harsh laugh. "I see I missed something. You look good in yellow, Nico." Grumbling, Nico glanced down. Not only were they yellow, but he was matching Will's own pair exactly.

"You are not wrong, Jackson," Will snickered. Percy closed his eyes and put his arms behind his head.

"We're not going to hear you two going at it tonight, right?" Nico found Percy's gritty mood somewhat relieving. Even Percy could be torn apart. He took that as a no. "Alright. Then get in the damn bed and stop standing around. It's weird."

Nico's lips lifted upward. "Fine."

He glanced over. Jason and Leo had fallen asleep during Chiron's speech, and Frank was awkwardly staring at Percy like he was back from the dead. Will, however, kept looking at Percy with more concern in his eyes than he'd ever seen, even when Nico was injured. He hardly noticed when Nico climbed beside him. "Hey." Will jerked his eyes away, which had become slightly wet. "He'll be okay."

"He's not okay."

"He will be," Nico whispered and turned to his stomach, head on Will's chest. "I promise."

"You can't-,"

"I said," Nico hissed, "I promise. Don't question me, Solace." Will wanted to question him, but Nico raised a hand and pressed it onto Will's face, forcing his lips shut. "Shut up."

"Nico, you're so weird," Will mumbled against his skin. He licked his hand, and Nico jerked away, jabbing an elbow into his stomach. "See. Weird."

"You like it."

"Shut up."

"Yes, please, shut up," Frank whimpered uncomfortably.

Percy laughed.

. . .

Will was a different person at school Monday morning. Again, he didn't want to get out of bed. Nico had to practically force him into the shower himself, which only gave the other guys reason to tease them.

It was understandable to Nico that nobody spoke during breakfast. Everyone was tired or hung-over. When lunch came around, things didn't change.

"So…I think Calypso wants to have sex, guys." Leo said as he ate his grilled cheese. Nico snorted, but that was the only response he got. Frank stared glumly into his soup. Jason was texting on his phone. Those two had more or less common behavior – Nico knew Frank was still beating himself up on making Hazel cry. It wasn't, however, common behavior for Will to not say a word or for Percy to stare into the woods like it was heaven. Leo looked at Nico. He shrugged. "Cause…she sent me a picture."

Jason cursed and tossed his phone on the ground. "Piper stopped sending me pictures. I think she and Reyna had a fight last night when she was drunk."

Leo rolled his eyes and put on a cocky smirk. "No. I mean like nudes."

Jason sneered, "Yeah. You're not special buddy. Piper was sending them on a nightly basis."

"Seriously?" Leo gaped.

As they argued back and forth about girls, Nico nudged Will. He couldn't tell what Will was upset about more. He had plenty. "You okay?"

Will shook his head and motioned to Percy. "Me? What about him?"

Nico bit his lip. He watched as Will slumped further into his seat, feigning boredom. Will cared. He just cared too much.

He was glad to see Will was out of his slump by their Greek Mythology class. They sat in the back and studied more and more minor gods. Jason was also in this class, but he was so good at the minor gods he always skipped.

"Yeah, well, I just think Janus needs two names, that's all I'm saying," Will protested by pouting.

Nico rolled his eyes. "Janus 1 and Janus 2 doesn't work for you?"

Will huffed. "No it does not!"

Nico snorted as the bell rang. It was only then that he noticed the smile still on Will's lips. He cleared his throat and waited for Will to pick up his stuff. "Are you going to anatomy?"

Will laughed and slapped Nico on the back. "You're joking, right?" Nico shrugged. "Nah. I'm going to practice with the new bow."

"Okay…do you want me to come?" Nico asked. He didn't like that Will was skipping. Of course, his grades wouldn't slip, and it wasn't like he needed the knowledge. Will knew everything. And Apollo owed him far more than an A. Still, it didn't settle well with Nico.

Will smiled weakly. "Thanks, di Angelo, but I can practice on my own. Of course, I still owe you some archery lessons." Nico grinned as they neared the entrance to the door. Will's grip on his hand tightened and his smile slowly slipped off his face. "Give him your best death glare for me, okay?"

Nico's chest was tight. He wanted to say something, but there was nothing wrong with skipping one day. It was the feeling that this wasn't a special occasion anymore that bothered him, though. "Okay. See you for dinner?"

Will stepped forward, pinning Nico to the wall with a mischievous grin. "Hmm, how about ten minutes before in the cabin?"

Nico's eyes flew around. "Uh, why?"

Will smirked and gripped Nico's hips, not even glancing at the boys snickering around them, pointing and gagging. "So I can give you a blowjob, baby, why else?"

Heat flooded into Nico's cheeks, and he looked into those blue, mesmerizing orbs that were darker than normal. "O-okay," he glanced at their hands. "I'll see you then."

As Will's lips found Nico's, sparks of hot energy flooded through his body. They were in direct public, with boys rushing around them constantly. But at this point, Nico didn't care. All he cared about was Will's soft lips and his fluent tongue. Nico didn't dare to grab his butt, which was exposed to the hall, but his hand did manage to slip under Will's shirt, producing a breathy groan from the blonde. His eyes twinkled as he pulled away, nodding to a passing teacher who was sending them the stink eye. "See you later, hot stuff," Will winked and shoved off of him.

Nico ran a hand through his hair and smothered the smile threatening to grace his lips. So maybe Will was grieving. Was it really the worst way to grieve, though?

Forty minutes later, Nico was still glaring at Apollo. He seemed to be sweating bullets, but it wasn't from the class-long lecture. Nico hadn't moved a finger. Apollo kept glancing at his desk, specifically the empty seat to his right. When the bell rang, Nico made sure he was the last one to leave, just to make his presence totally aware.

"Nico?" Apollo was walking on egg shells and he knew it. With a heavy sigh, Nico leaned against the doorway and raised an eyebrow. It gave him too much happiness to see the grown man look so scared before him. "Um…did he skip the whole day because of me?"

"Who?" Nico asked.

"You know who," Apollo huffed with frustration.

Nico shrugged. "Maybe. Or maybe he just skipped your class. Trust me, I was tempted to as well." Apollo's shoulders sagged as the news hit him hard. He shouldn't have been so happy to see that man in so much pain.

"You don't understand anything, kid, so don't look so smug," Apollo growled.

"Yeah? Enlighten me then, Apollo," Nico spat furiously. He pushed himself off the wall and stepped into his face. "Tell me what was a good enough reason to abandon your only son?"

"Step away, Mr. di Angelo," Chiron's commanding voice rumbled from directly behind him. Clenching his fists, Nico took a step back, only them realizing just how close he was. He faced Chiron.

"Do you know the full story here, Chiron?" Nico growled. His accusing finger was on the too familiar man. "Are you aware he has a son here?"

Chiron's jaw clenched. "Yes, Nico, I have been aware since he applied." Nico's eyes grew wide with distrust. "As Apollo has said, you do not know the whole story. Keep that in mind before making a decision about whose side you're on."

"Sides?" Nico scoffed. "He abandoned his kid. This isn't a game. This is toying with Will's emotions. How can you be permitting this?"

"Do not raise your voice with me, Mr. di Angelo!" Chiron grumbled. He stepped aside. "You have training to get to."

Nico looked between Apollo and Chiron with disgust. Shaking his head, Nico stormed out of the door. Before, he was annoyed. Now, he was pissed off. He wanted to know the full story because every bone in his body told him it wasn't good enough. Nico knew it wasn't good enough. There wasn't a reason anyone could conjure up good enough to warrant abandoning his family!

Nico pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Will," he seethed into the phone. "Cabin. Now."

Will beat him to the cabin. He was sitting on the couch playing with his fingers. Looking up as Nico came in, Will stood. Originally, he planned to tell Will everything from Apollo's nervousness to Chiron's knowledge of it all. But when he saw Will in his cut off shirt and disheveled hair, everything went out the window.

Nico threw his bag on the floor and stormed over to Will and shoved him over the hand rest. It was all Nico could do to stop himself from following suit. Instead, he busied himself with pulling off his shirt.

"You okay?" Will chuckled mystically.

"I'm angry," he hissed as he crawled on top of the blonde, removing his shirt, too. "And I don't have alcohol, so you'll have to do."

Will giggled as Nico's hands started undoing his jeans. "We're starting to have an unhealthy relationship."

Nico's eyes glinted above Will's. "We'll survive," he breathed, eyes locked on his. In an instant, Nico's lips connected with Will's. It was hard and passionate, lacking any emotion aside from pure, hot lust. His hands were all over Will. He had more confidence now, and there were no limits.

He pinned Will's hands above his head and grinded his body into his as their tongues fought for dominance. Quickly getting frustrated, Nico tugged at Will's lip hard enough to draw a hint of blood. He pulled away with an animalistic growl. Will smirked godlily and looked the boy on top of him up and down.

"I don't know where this side of you came from, but it's both worrisome and sexy as hell," Will whimpered as Nico's fingers ran up and down his biceps.

"Pants off," Nico nodded as he stood up. Will's eyes went wide, but he numbly shrugged off his bottoms. "Underwear, too."

"Nico-,"

"Solace," he breathed as he dropped to his knees. "Please. Shut up."

"You don't-," Will began to protest, concern lacing his words. But that wouldn't do with Nico. He shoved the boy's knees apart and rubbed his dick through his thin cotton underwear. "O-okay." Without another word, Nico pulled his underwear down and wrapped his lips around his head.

When they were done, Nico stood without a word to Will. He shrugged on his shirt, kissed Will's lips, grinned that devilish smirk of his that only grew dirtier with the more he did. Nico was only five minutes late to sword training.

. . .

"Well, they have some secret weapon called Kronos, whatever that is," Leo scoffed as he peeled an apple with a knife. Percy rolled his eyes and put his roll in the middle of the table.

"Let's make something that will crush their toy," he ground of as his fist connected with the roll, flattening it on contact.

Jason sighed dramatically. He had bags under his eyes. The new rule? It was enforced. He tried sneaking over to the girls' camp the night before and got an hour long lecture from Chiron. "We have it, right Leo?"

Leo, a face stuffed full of chips, nodded encouragingly. Mostly, he was glad everyone was talking again. "Yep! Jake and I have been working on it during our last period and before dinner every day. It'll be ready by tomorrow."

"Cutting it a little close, aren't you? Tomorrow is Thursday. That leaves us one day to train with it." Frank chastised. He wasn't a fan of the dragon. Will wasn't either. It was lethal. Of course, in their tournaments, they'd have protocol on it to make it only stun the victims. Still, transportation and practicing with it would be risky.

"At least somebody's been doing something purposeful during their last period of the day," Nico mumbled, messing around with his food instead of meeting the eyes of anyone there.

Will let out a dramatic sigh. Nico had been sending passively aggressive comments like that for the past three days. Percy rolled his eyes. "You're the last person to be pointing out somebody's bad habits, Nico. We all saw you groping Will a few minutes ago."

Will jabbed an elbow into Nico's chest, but that didn't stop the boy's hands from continuing in his ministrations. In all honesty, there hadn't been a single meal in which Nico or Will had made a pass for each other. Will wanted to blame their honeymoon phase, but from the way he'd nearly pushed Nico off the bed for trying to convince him to come to anatomy last night, he knew they were out of the honeymoon phase. So that only left whispers of bad things to come in his mind, but he consciously pushed those thoughts away.

For now, couldn't they survive on sexual activities and an occasional cuddle?

* * *

 **A/N: Sooo, a penny for your thoughts? Here's the thing. I'm on vacation, and the next chapter isn't finished. I have like two chapters left, but…I need some motivation! What do you guys think should or will happen? Tell me!**

 **Btw, I'm in Canada and it is gorgeous here and I'm two hours behind my regular time and I'm going to ski and as you can tell I'm excited!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot.**

* * *

That was how the week went. At breakfast, few spoke. At lunch, they planned out training. After lunch, Nico and Will made out until class restarted. At dinner, they went over the plan for the games. After dinner, Nico and Will messed around in the cabin. By that point, the other guys knew to stay out of their way or be content with hearing them in the bathroom.

It was a routine that Nico took advantage of. Thursday morning, he snuck in on Will's shower. As Nico lowered to his knees amid the steaming water, Will finally fisted his hair and pulled the boy up. He pinned him against the wall with that sunshine smile produced only in the mornings for him.

"Let's fuck," Will grinned, moving his bare hips into Nico's. The black haired boy's eyes snapped open.

"What's wrong with blowjobs?" he huffed indignantly.

Will brushed the water out of his eyes and frowned. "They're great…but your ass has been calling my name since you wore those fucking skinny jeans." Nico couldn't have looked more disgusted. Will let out a large sigh and shut off the water, wrapping a towel around his waist before leaving Nico in the shower, who eventually followed him out.

Will yelled over his shoulder as he fumbled through his clothes. "It's just at some point, Nico, a mouth is just not enough pressure!"

"I think that's our crew to leave," Frank squeaked.

"Gay-dar alert!" Leo hollered and dashed out of the cabin.

"That's not what it even means," Jason sighed and did the same.

Nico strategically waited for the rest of them to leave before countering back. "Yeah? Tell that to me next time I'm almost vomiting on your dick then!"

Will growled and turned around, fists clenched. "Is that all I am to you? Somebody to get you off and vice versa?"

Nico's mouth was left open.

Will groaned and pulled at his hair in frustration. Why couldn't he answer? He was fine with demanding where he touch and where he lick, but when it came to hint at feelings, he shut up. "Sex means something, Nico! It's my last resort to save us!"

"Save us? Since when did-?"

"Don't play dumb, di Angelo. You and I haven't had a real conversation in a week. You only call on me for head. And if that's the case, then maybe we didn't connect how I thought we did. So maybe…you'll connect during sex."

By this time, the bell for breakfast had rung. Nico didn't move, so neither did Will. If this was what it took for them to start talking again, he'd be willing to miss a few classes.

Nico's face slowly grew darker, like Will was the nightmares he still had. "Me? You think I don't like you?" Will clenched his jaw. That wasn't what he said and he knew it. Nico's eyes caught his with fire. "Is it because I haven't professed my love for you? Seriously? If anyone's to blame, it's you. We've only known each other for-,"

"Don't give me that bullshit, Nico. Love knows no bounds, and that includes time," Will hissed, stepping closer. "But no. That's not it. My problem is that every time I see you, you want to mess around. You never want to talk. You never want to hang out."

"Give me some credit! I just had my first blow job a week ago, I didn't realize-,"

"Stop lying!" Will shouted. Nico flinched backwards, falling over the bed, and only then did Will realize how close he was standing. He closed his eyes and sat back on his bed, head in hands. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah. So am I," he huffed as he grabbed his back. Will listened with pain as his footsteps grew father away. They paused at the door. "You know, maybe I'd talk to you if you'd talk to me about Apollo. There are more sides to him than we thought, but I'm not going to do your digging for you. You can't hide from everything."

His words hit Will the moment they left his lips. "You're calling me a coward?" Will laughed coldly as he grabbed the bow at his feet, clenching his hands tightly around the metal. "I'm sorry for hating the man who walked out on me."

Nico clenched his hands. "You never miss class, Will, and you've missed his every week. You're not okay."

"He left me with a whore!"

"He has a reason!" Nico shouted back equally as loud. Will pulled at the strings, forcing his anger away. He loved Nico. He loved Nico. He _didn't_ hate him.

"Fine," Will mumbled as he stared at the strings. "Take his side." They would be so easy to snap.

"Will-,"

"I just want to be alone," Will sighed in defeat as the bow fell out of his hands. He turned his back to Nico.

"Will, come-,"

"Alone."

One long minute later, the door shut.

. . .

Nico followed Leo into the woods. Today was their practice round. They had one day to get a feel with their secret weapon. Nico secretly thought it was for the weapon to get a feel for them, as in not trying to assassinate a teammate.

His eyes, as usual, followed the ever-stubborn Will Solace, as they had been doing all day without his permission. With a sigh, he twisted his sword around and trudged deeper, hoping to leave their problems behind.

He didn't understand how things got so out of control. Why was Will the one pouting? It was his thing. He held grudges for years. Nico understood why Will was mad, but he wasn't just going to let him shove the matter aside. It wasn't how anyone dealt with things. Believe him, he was no expert on grief, but he sure knew a few things on what not to do.

He also knew when somebody was a complete dick. And Apollo was one. However, he wasn't heartless. He had a reason. He cared, to a degree. Nico knew, most likely, Apollo chose the option that made him _look_ the best. If he had chosen the option that was the best for himself, then he never would have shown back up.

Merely thinking about Apollo made Nico's blood boil. His hands grew sweaty and he had trouble holding the sword because of his trembling limbs. He had to know why. Nobody could hurt an angel like Will without a reason because if they did, they were about to meet his father.

Amidst his racing thoughts, Nico ran straight into Will. He shook him off and didn't say a word. When Jake Mason marched out with the metal dragon, Nico realized he needed to get his head focused on the task at hand, at least for the next few hours.

 _See, this is what happens when I'm mad. I get sidetracked. Stupid, stupid, stupid._

Maybe Will had a point. He'd been angry every day that week. Just the sight of Apollo did it. And he always meant to rant to Will, but his body jumped at the first distraction from rage it knew. And nobody was a better distraction than Will Solace.

"Everyone, meet Festus!" Leo jumped with joy as he walked in front of the dragon. Nico couldn't believe they made this. He merely assumed he was delusional with festering rage at this point.

Jake Mason picked his way to the remaining five. He stopped at Will, eyes narrowed. Just by the way he held his shoulders high and back, Nico knew he was looking for anything to pull the attention on the sleep deprived, cranky blonde; and he found something.

"William Solace." Jake sniped.

"It's just Will."

Jake continued without missing a beat. "I recall hearing you've skipped last period…every day this week? Hmm. It looks like this should be taken up with Chiron before you try out the dragon."

"You've got to be kidding! Come on!" Everyone protested. They all knew the rules. Nico had forgotten them until now. He knew there was a reason he was so worried about Will skipping…it wasn't entirely crazy or selfish.

In the end, they all were delayed ten minutes as they waited on Chiron's verdict. Chiron, of course, followed the rules even though it pained him to do so. "You knew the rules, Mr. Solace. It's very unlike you to break them."

Nico couldn't shut his mouth, "You know exactly why he did."

Chiron glanced at him the way an old wise man glances at a too-eager child. "Thank you, Nico, but rules must be followed nonetheless. Come along, Will. I hope you remember to make it to class tomorrow or you won't be able to participate in the games…" They walked out of earshot, but as they left the clearing, Nico thought he saw blue eyes flash back towards him curiously.

Percy cursed under his breath. Leo rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well, let's just hope he won't get his ass caught on fire tomorrow. So…here's what how we'll practice today…"

In the end, they all got an inch or two too close to the flames, and that was in Festus' 'play' mode. Nico was severely worried for Will and severely in pain. Bent over at the waist, he rested on his knees and glanced tiredly at Jason, who was coughing up smoke.

They both decided to call it quits. As the boys regrouped, they realized Jason and Nico had gotten the worst of the injuries. "It's not my fault you're not used to being seen. He has night vision, which includes all shadows." Leo grinned proudly, as if the blistering patch of skin on Nico's arm was a prize of war. Jason had

"Why was I the only one to inhale his breath?" Jason wheezed. "And why did you make his breath smoke?" Talking made it worse. He stumbled into Percy, who then handed him to Nico.

"Maybe because you like air too much? Don't ask me!" Leo shoved the two out of the woods. "Go to the infirmary. We need you in top shape for tomorrow!"

It was past dinnertime anyways, so they all headed in. Nico didn't think Jason would even make it to the infirmary. "I'm not carrying you."

He held up a hand in solute and managed to stumble into the infirmary. Nico cursed his unfortunate luck when he heard the laughter that never failed to quicken his heart. He nearly turned around just to give Will some peace of mind. Of course that was when Jason started choking. Nico let him fall to his knees.

"Um, I don't think this is good," Nico voiced, less concern than he should have had truthfully. Will's head popped out around the corner, and his expression darkened. Nico didn't know if it was because of him or Jason. Either way, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. He missed that face on his.

Will and Hygieia rushed to Jason's side. "What happened to him?" Will spat out with annoyance.

"He inhaled a ton of smoke. Apparently, metal dragons breathe smoke _and_ fire. Who knew?" Nico sighed. Will straightened, frowned, but shook his head and continued tending to Jason.

"Can you help me get him to a bed, Nico?" Will grunted as he wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Nico glanced at his hand and grimaced before bending down and, using his good hand, he lifted Jason to his feet with Will. They almost had him on a bed, too. However, Hygieia came running around the bed griping about how dirty Nico was. She knocked the bed, which knocked Will into Jason. Jason began to fell and grabbed at Nico, coming into contact with his fresh, blistering burn.

Nico cried out as sharp, unforgettable pain ripped through his nerves. He clutched the skin behind his hand as his body curled in on itself.

"Nico, could – Nico?" Will frowned down from above. He must have gotten up. Nico didn't even notice. The next thing he knew, Will's face was hovering in front of his. The pain was sharp enough to make him want to vomit. "Hygieia, put an oxygen mask on Jason!" His hot hands moved under Nico's arms, and then he was on the bed.

Will moved about quickly in front of him. Nico almost enjoyed the professional attitude. At least he didn't hate him for the moment. "What did you do, Nico?"

Nico winced as Will squeezed water over the wound. "Dragons. Fire. Oooo."

Will narrowed his eyes as his grip on his arm tightened. "Well, that was stupid of you." Nico shrugged. He stared at Will as he worked. It was the only time he remembered having free reign to simply stare at him. It was relieving.

"I almost forgot what it was like," Nico admitted. Will cautiously raised an eyebrow. He was still mad, but he was going to take care of him, clearly. "It's nice not doing anything and being close. I missed it."

Will rolled his eyes and mumbled, "No shit." He didn't mean for Nico to hear, so he pretended like he said nothing.

"You're cute when you're mad," Nico chuckled before cursing as Will rubbed a salve over the open wound, more harshly than needed. Nico couldn't stop looking into his blue busy eyes. The freckles that spotted his cheeks and nose were becoming less noticeable as winter progressed, but they were still a defining part of his surfer look.

Will bit his lip, and for a moment, Nico thought they'd get somewhere. Then, Will slapped a bandage on Nico's arm hard enough to make him double over. Will grit his teeth and whispered into his ear, "And you're still a self centered ass."

He finished wrapping the wound with an attitude only Will Solace could pull off. No matter how angry Will was, Nico was only more and more turned on. Even when jealousy grew as he talked to Jason about the dragon and what he should know for tomorrow, all Nico wanted was to magically fix everything and wrap Will in his arms for a day of movies and cuddles.

Never before had he had such delicate thoughts…

"Will I be able to breathe…like normal tomorrow?" Jason said between deep breaths. Will nodded.

"Stay here overnight with the oxygen. I'd send you to the hospital, but your oxygen level is already near normal again." He shrugged.

Jason lied back on the bed. "So…no heavy make out sessions then?"

Nico scoffed, crossing his arms. Will jumped, as if he didn't know he was still there. They met eyes, and Nico gave him his best 'I'm walking you home' look. He seemed to understand. "Uh, no. Try not to get winded until tomorrow. Save up the O-2."

Jason saluted him again and placed the oxygen tubes back into his nose, which didn't look comfortable. Will took his time organizing a few things before checking in with Hygieia. She was an interesting nurse.

When he finally got his things, he played surprised to see Nico still standing there. "Oh." They walked outside together, and it was well after eleven. Nico didn't know if he could hold his hand, but he really wanted to. He really wanted the problems to just disappear, even just for an hour. "The stars are really bright tonight."

Nico whipped his anxious gaze to Will. His eyes were dimmer in this light, but his interest in everything wasn't. Nico's lips lifted in a slight smile. "We could see it better from our tree."

Will grinned sadly. He grabbed Nico's hand with hesitation, intertwining their hands slowly, meticulously. "Sadly, we have a tournament to win tomorrow."

And for the rest of the night, the two boys pretended they knew nothing of their problems. It was perfectly annoying, just like his significant annoyance at his side.

. . .

Pleasant dreams were uncommon for Nico. Most of the time, subconscious nighttime thoughts consisted of memories. Recently, he'd been growing better at handling the memories. He tried to smile through them. He tried to cherish the times they had. But some were overwhelming. Some were scenes of their deaths that he wasn't even there for.

The night before their big battle, though, Nico had nothing but happiness. He couldn't describe what he was doing, but he knew it was sunny. He remembered the sun being so hot it burned him, and he didn't care. He woke up to that body-encasing heat one could only get from sun beating down on you during a hot summer day.

Will's arms were wrapped around Nico. And then they weren't. And the darkness settled back in his heart again. Nico rolled over to his back and watched as Will got up. It was the crack of dawn.

"Where-?"

"I'm going on a run."

Nico sat up and frowned. "We have a match…" Will tugged on a sweatshirt and looked at him with impatience. Nico sighed. "Don't get too tired."

Will snorted with annoyance and jogged out the door. It slammed shut behind him, enough to make Nico jump. His heart hurt. Falling back on the bed, he didn't understand how Will was so hostile so early. For the first time since being back here, Nico woke up happy.

 _I stole his sunshine._

He fell back on the bed with defeat. Percy chuckled in his gruff, deep voice. "You two are a show, you know that?"

Nico glanced at him and nodded. "Aren't all gays?"

Percy smirked. "Alright, di Angelo. I expect your two horny butts to still kick some ass tonight whether or not you kissed and made up." He threw a pillow at him, and Nico chuckled. He really hoped they could do that. Could they? Surely they could.

When he went back to sleep this time, his dreams were far less pleasant. He was in that weird state between sleep and conscious when he felt the hot breath in front of his face. Merely from his salty stench that Nico didn't mind at all, Nico knew it was Will back from his run. Will huffed tiredly and leaned closer, pressing his lips to Nico's. In his half-consciousness, his lips felt like a searing marshmallow straight out of the fire. His mind fluttered, itching to awaken for Will, who brushed hair out of Nico's eyes.

"My little angel."

And then Will ripped the blanket away, but Nico was entangled in it, so he fell to the floor. Cringing, Will stood. "Everyone up!"

Nico glared at him from the floor. Will's eyes glanced down at him, scrutinizing, as if his words of endearment hadn't just slipped from his mouth. Then, Will disappeared into the bathroom.

They didn't speak at lunch. Neither knew what they were doing. He supposed things would have been simpler if they hadn't shared a bed last night. Nico spotted Apollo standing at the entrance to the dining hall. He motioned to Will, but when the blonde looked, he whipped back around and stared at his food.

"You have to go to his class today," Percy's voice sounded beside Will. Percy hadn't been talking much since he got back. He'd taken on more of a leader since then, which was a trait Nico never could have put on his goofy shoulders. It was a jarring change that continued to surprise everyone.

"I – I will," he whispered, shoulders closing in on his body. As Nico's heart began to break at the sight of misshapen Will, Jason nudged him. He mouthed something to Nico, but he couldn't quite make it out. Then, he jerked his head in the blonde's direction. Nico sighed. He got up, throwing away both his and Will's trays of food.

"Let's go, Solace," Nico kicked his leg. Clearly, Will had hesitations, but Leo shoved him off the bench. Nico directed him to the base of their tree since they didn't have enough time to climb it. He fell back against the bark and motioned for Will to come into his arms. Rolling his eyes, Will lied perpendicular to Nico with his head resting in the boy's lap. Nico appreciated the chance to stare into his beautifully blue eyes. "You gonna be okay?"

Will bit his lip and nodded. "You're right. It's time." Nico breathed out with relief. He squeezed Will's shoulder and leaned back.

"I'm sorry I've been using you for blow jobs," Nico admitted. He cast his gaze upward. "I didn't mean to. I just…didn't know what to say to you. You've been so sad."

Will rolled onto his side and let out a chuckle. "It's okay, Death Boy." Nico snorted. "We're all kinds of messed up, aren't we?"

Nico grinned upward and laughed. "I've missed you, you know."

Will smiled faintly. "I know. Will you come with me to speak with Ap – my dad tomorrow?"

Nico leaned down and pressed his lips to Will's once. "Of course."

Will closed his eyes and sighed. "I love you, Nico." Nico couldn't respond, so he just kissed him.

He wished he could have known that in a few hours, even if he wanted to say those three words, Will wouldn't have been conscious to hear them. He may not ever get to hear them either. But that was the problem with their games; it got people killed.

* * *

 **A/N: So I am writing chapter 18, but it looks like I may extend it to add a chapter 19. I'm not sure. Also I feel like towards the end of this, I've let go. It's not that great. I feel like I struggled to add some drama, and the plot was never very deep to begin with. Idk. It's not my favorite, but I love these two, and I want to finish this. So.**

 **Btw, there's this guy at my school who looks so much like Nico, I fangirl every time I see him!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot.**

 **A/N: Exciting chapter. It isn't just action of the battle, there's cute moments!**

* * *

The air was especially cold for their first tournament. It was a fall and spring sport. Nico hadn't placed in the competing team in the fall, but he slowly surpassed his old cabin mate, Luke Castellan, as he got quicker. So this was his tournament with the A team. There were lesser teams that he'd competed with, but they were hardly a challenge, and nobody showed up for those.

This tournament was unlike anything he'd seen before. Percy and Jason, both A team members since they arrived here, bumped his shoulder as they passed. "Scared, di Angelo?"

Nico scoffed and continued walking with them to their school's starting points. The closer they got, the more people crowded around. He could feel their stares encase them; they were the show. The boys kept their gazes set forward. At the starting line, the entire girls' team awaited them. Annabeth was at the head. She was pale and noticeably thinner. She was the only one without armor on. While the girls were not competing, it was common for everyone to dress as if they were. Annabeth had on jeans and a sweatshirt, and she looked sick.

Nico heard Will gasp, and he grabbed the blonde's arm before he could run and make a big deal about it. Percy drifted like gravity to Annabeth's side. He wrapped his arms around her waist, but Annabeth hardly acknowledged his presence. She murmured unintelligible words to him, and he responded just as gravely.

"My gosh," Will gripped his hand tightly, "she's worse than him."

Leo, oddly serious, coughed. "I didn't know they even wanted the kid."

Calypso elbowed him. "Of course they did."

Frank and Hazel shook their heads. "Even if they didn't, they'd still be affected by losing their child. It was part of them…" Hazel sighed as Frank gripped her hand hesitantly. Jason cleared his throat. Reyna and Piper were a few yards away from the starting line, laughing like they were best friends. If Jason wasn't between them, they easily could be.

"Guys, let's focus," Jason brought the attention back to them. Hazel and Calypso wished them good luck before joining Thalia as she spoke to Chiron about officiating with him. He kindly declined.

The objective was different than capture the flag, but only slightly. There was one base. The home team had to invade that base and capture their flag within ten minutes, returning safely to a designated checkpoint. The second round, the teams switched. It was best two out of three, so whoever took out the most men total got to decide if they wanted to be offensive or defensive.

Nico was lined up beside Will as everyone did a gear check. Nico already went over his three times and had Jason look it over as well. His blade was sharp and his armor was tight. Will was frantic. He was loading arrow after arrow into his three quivers.

"Will you need that much?" Nico asked. Will looked up and shook his head, moving about at a slightly slower pace.

"I loaded the wrong arrows, and then they got switched up." In the five minutes remaining, Nico helped switch out the deadly arrows from the stunning ones. They obviously would only be using stun arrows. Similarly, if the swordsmen used any deadly trap or maneuver, they'd instantly be disqualified.

"You ready for this, Solace?"

Will wiggled his eyebrows as he set the deadly weapons aside, favoring his bow and quiver. "Absolutely. If I win this for everyone, you owe me some hot sex." Before Nico could respond, Will slapped his butt and pulled him in line. And it began.

Things started out well.

Will's job was to take out the other archers. With the help of Frank, they climbed the trees and covered the backs of the other four. Leo handled the smoke bombs and other traps. Nico scouted ahead of them. They did fine until they hit the open area.

Will and Frank shot what seemed like volleys of arrows into the sky as Nico dashed for the rock mound's walls. They called this Zeus' fist. The boys weren't allowed to know where the base would be until today. It was the hardest base they ever practiced on.

The Titans came on them all at once. Nico was taking on two while three surrounded Jason, Percy, and Leo. He assumed one lone swordsman had control of their flag until he was struck with a stun arrow, forced to his knees. The boys almost had him until a volley of arrows came to his aid, hitting him in the process, but it kept the blades away long enough for him to hobble into safety.

He didn't have to look back to thank Will.

They won that round, but they had plenty of casualties. Nico had a gash on his arm heavily bleeding. Jason was already out of breath. Leo and Percy got knocked on the head a few too many times. The archers were the last people to be injured in this scenario. Nico secretly prayed thanks for that one. Will was a fine swordsman, but he couldn't bear to see him in such danger.

Between rounds, they had ten minutes to prepare or relax. Chiron talked for a few minutes, having Percy and Jason alternate between explaining the plan of defense, once again. Defense was always harder than offense. Ten minutes was a long time to fend off invaders, and these Titans were known for their powerful offense.

"Stand your ground, young men, and this battle will go down in history," Chiron waved goodbye, grouping with the archery teachers to talk strategy. A little cocky advice was always good coming from Apollo, despite how self-imposed he was.

"You've got a nasty cut," Will hissed, like it was Nico's fault.

"We all do. Except you wimps," he nudged Will's elbow. Will smirked and recounted his arrows. The girls were picking up the fallen arrows for him right now. "Gonna come fight with us this time?"

Will raised an eyebrow. "You try climbing a tree and shooting from fifty feet away. Then we'll talk."

Nico snorted as they refilled his arrows. When the next round began, things went differently. For the first eight minutes, they held them off with ease. Nico thought something wasn't right, but in the mess of battle, all he could see was rocks and blades. All he could hear was shouting and taunts, the clash of metal on metal.

There was a reason it was easy.

Frank's arrows stopped coming first, and then Will's. Percy told Nico to fix the problem, but he was busy fending off a man as cold as Antarctica itself. He eventually broke away, and Percy, Jason, and Leo closed in closer to the flag – something they should never have to do.

A Titan ran out of the trees, far from where Nico stood. He knew he should have gone after him, but he heard their cries. Will and Frank were being tied to the trees by some metal robot the size of a fist. Nico blinked for a second; this was against the rules. They were allowed to use traps, but robots were explicitly separate. Robots were basically additional players. That was only allowed in the final stage.

Nico cursed and tore through the ropes and gags. The robot began again attacking the archers as they climbed back up the trees, and he tried to smash it, but it was too fast.

"Nico, just go. We can deal with it," Frank shoved him away. Nico bit his lip and watched as Will pulled out his knife. He doubted they'd be able to catch it, but there was hardly enough time for them to climb the trees again even.

He began sprinting back to the field, but it was too late. Cheers erupted, and they were quickly followed by louder 'boo's and angry shouts. Nico emerged from the woods to see Percy climbing out of a deep fissure between the boulders. He had blood running down his, but the glare was scarier. Jason was undoing Leo's bonds. Nico couldn't believe they'd had time to tie Leo up. He'd been gone hardly over a minute.

"Hey! They cheated!" Nico shouted, pointing back towards the trees. Nobody heard him. Will and Frank came out without any evidence of the robot. "Did you get the robot?"

Frank sighed gravely. "It won't go away from the trees."

Nico balled his fists. Will's hand fell on his shoulder. "It's okay. We can take the referee to the trees."

And they did just that. Chiron was scandalized that he let something like that pass right under his nose. Nico felt sure they'd win instantly, but the ref took longer than he should have examining it. The Titan leader, Kronos, barked out their defense. "It's a tree robot – bound to the woods. It's smaller than any thing similar to a human. How is that an extra person?"

"Because it can do as much as a person!" Will protested. Nico sighed. He already saw where their loophole had come from.

Kronos smiled greedily. "Or are you two just too weak?"

The referee glanced between the teams and deemed the robot fit for play. "Are you kidding? We can't even shoot now!" Nico grabbed Will's bicep, pulling him back. The ref grew a deep frown as he regarded Will with scrutiny. "This is so stupid!"

"Watch it, boy," he growled. Chiron cleared his throat and met eyes with Nico. He understood the message and pulled Will back.

"Come on. We'll figure something out."

Will's glare shifted to him. "Easy for you to say! It's not attack you when you're fully exposed!"

"Will…" Eyes wide, Nico shook his head. "Not here."

Will looked around and gulped, forcing his anger down to his gut. Everyone was watching. Both schools and the Titan coaches had gathered to see the ruling and Will's outburst. Apollo watched intensely with a similar frown on his face as the blonde who leaned into him. Together, they moved through the crowd back to their base.

Will had his hands tugging at his dirty hair. He let out a frustrated scream and ran into Nico, head falling in defeat on his shoulder. "This is so not fair."

"I know."

"Why isn't anything fair? Why can't one thing be fair?" Will whispered, voice breaking. Nico wrapped his arms under his loosened armor and held his shaking frame.

"The world hates us." Nico assured. Will agreed with his silence.

"I had an idea of him, you know. I imagined he was some FBI agent – that we were safer without him around," Will choked as he clutched at Nico's back. "Michael, Lee, and now my heroic father. I just wanted to win at something once."

 _You've won my heart._

But Nico couldn't say it. The words died in his mouth. "One more go."

Will pulled back with a raised eyebrow. "One more go? And if we lose?"

"Then we'll kill ourselves." Will set his jaw as his eyes burned darker. Nico shrugged tiredly and stepped back. "You see the hilarity in my statement, I see." Will huffed and Nico nudged him with his foot. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but…you just have keep going. We don't have another choice."

Will met his eyes finally, and they came to an agreement. They wouldn't have another choice. It wasn't on the tables, so they would keep pushing through. It's all they could do.

The girls came around with his arrows, and the two silently began loading them into his quiver. Nico's eyes wandered to Will's darkly golden bow. For a second, he debated if it was made of brass. Nico picked it up to examine the weapon, but then something else caught his eyes. "Hey, Will, did the bow come in this case?"

"Yes, why?"

Nico shut the case and held it between his legs, eyes narrowing. "Because there's something written here."

The case was metal on the outside, which made any writing nearly impossible to remain on the case, but this wasn't only writing. Running his hands over the three words, Nico realized these were etched in with a knife.

Will frowned. He squatted by Nico's side and looked for himself, heart pounding. "Kayla & Austin…love you?" The first two names were followed by a choppy heart symbol. Will repeated the words, yearning for a meaning behind them.

"This must have been your dad's before now," Nico murmured, "but who are Kayla and Austin?"

Will looked up, eyes finding Apollo instantly. A growl sounded from his throat. "He's got a lot of explaining to do," Will almost shouted as he began to stalk after his father. Nico yanked him back down.

"Come on. Let's focus on the tournament. We're battling with Festus - we need to be focus," Nico implored. His heart squeezed at the sight of tears pooling in Will's eyes. He grabbed his hand and rubbed his thumb along his wrist. "One more go."

Will's eyes and soul darkened as he glowered. "One more go."

. . .

Will and Frank spent two seconds near the tree before deciding it'd be a waste to try to climb the tree, so they joined the battle. It made Nico nervous. They weren't the best at defending their backs; it was every archer's weakness. Still, Frank was a beast, switching to his sword with no trouble when things got too intense.

Will, on the other hand, was always a second away from getting stepped on by Festus or stabbed. The goal of this round was to have two members of their team reach the opposite side of the forest. The first one with three won. It was all about strategy and teamwork.

And they were kicking some ass. Nico was one of the two trying to reach the opposite side. Most teams stuck to even offense and defense by sending three out and keeping three together. Another popular strategy was to evenly push the team back with all six players. It was what they would have done if they hadn't had their dragon. He was worth two players alone. Furthermore, they could count on Nico's abilities to get himself across the field, so it was only up to Percy to struggle.

Festus was only a little bit slower, which was why Will hadn't been squished yet. Obviously, their training with him the night before helped immensely. Leo was manning it. Frank was keeping him protected until he could jump on Festus, which would give him ultimate control.

It took Nico five minutes to reach the end. He managed to hit one guy hard enough that he was walking in a circle. Percy fended off one while Nico tied up another. Anything went in this game as long as they didn't use a move that could kill a person. All the schools on the East were trained to slash not stab. It was the favored fighting style and kept deaths to a minimum while still halting the enemy.

He and Percy worked fast against him. Percy already had taken a lot of blows. At this point, Nico was surprised he was even standing. Both teammates saw the blow coming. This guy had a heavy sword, and when he kicked Nico's legs out, he went straight for the dazed Percy. The green-eyed boy's head hit the rocks with the force of an elephant falling.

Nico managed to overtake the man while he basked in his glory. The rules only required for two members to be past the line, but it never specified if they had to be conscious or no. Nico glanced over his shoulder and almost cried.

Will's eyes locked on his. The blonde was coated in soot. For a second, Nico was shocked at his beauty. Amid the battle, his hair escaped from under his helmet and cast a marveling light onto his eyes, making them sparkle brilliantly. His windswept bangs were curly and moving in the breeze, and the way his welded a his bow at the ranks closing in made Nico think he was meant to be on the field. Will's lips lifted into a teasing smirk, and Nico didn't think he'd seen a more heart-stopping smile. In that moment, Nico knew. He knew he'd fallen so far in love with Will Solace he could taste Tartarus.

Will's gaze seemed to kiss his lips before he nodded and turned away, abandoning the bow in favor of a sword. Nico wrapped his arms around Percy's shoulders and turned around as he dragged him towards the trees, but it was a slow process. He was weak, and Percy was heavy. They were only three fourths of the way across, too.

It was then that things got bad. Leo was no longer in control of Festus since he was handling two people at once. Frank had lost all weapons and was doing his best to make his way to Nico. Jason had gotten too close to the trees and managed to get tied up against one.

That left Will to the last man. It seemed like he would hold him off long enough, but then one of the men fighting Leo crushed the remote for Festus, and the large dragon went crazy. It ran straight into Will, sending him flying to the side. It took him way too long to get up.

"Nico! Hurry! He's almost there!" Jason shouted across the field. Nico could hardly manage to pull any more strength out of his body. He looked behind him and saw a hundred miles.

"More time," Nico shouted. Percy moaned under his hands, but Nico couldn't do anything more.

He glanced up in time to see somebody who could.

Will shoved himself to his feet and made a mad dash for the lone Titan. His sword was raised, warning Will off, but Will didn't care. He ran anyways, without a shield or weapon of any kind. The Titan's back was to Nico, but he used two hands to come hard on Will, but Will had expected that. He jumped in the boy's path and trapped the blade in his body. It sent them boy rolling on the ground with one loud cry of pure, utter agony.

Nico couldn't breathe or move.

"Keep…going," Percy hissed, eyes struggling to open.

Nico crossed the line. The sounds were a blur. People were cheering and hugging him, but his focus was on the crumpled blonde across the field. Nico handed Percy over and started to jog, but the longer he saw his body unmoving, the faster he ran. People noticed. They followed his gaze to where the Titan was slowly backing away as medics jogged toward Will's body.

Nico crashed to his knees as the medics rolled Will onto his back, sword still impaled under his arm, stuck directly into the right side of his chest. "Please let it hit a rib…" he muttered as they lifted his arm. Nico wanted to puke. It had found the exact chink in both his armor and his ribs.

Will's soft, silent whimpers barely reached his ears. His left hand was dangling as they got him on a stretchers. "Nico," he panted, eyes fluttering. Nico grabbed his hand and ran with the medics as they physically pushed people out of the way.

"I'm here, Will. I…"

Will smiled softly and winced as he nodded. "Love you."

Nico opened his mouth instantly, holding no hesitations on what he needed to say, but then Will's grip loosened and his eyes shut as he firmly left consciousness.

"Starting CPR," announced a medic as he jumped on top of Will's body, pounding relentlessly into his chest.

Nico couldn't follow anymore. He couldn't move. All he could see was Will's hand as it fell out of his, the way his breath last kissed his lips, the way he looked like he was sleeping.

Will Solace looked like an angel, but in that moment, that was the scariest thing Will could look like to Nico.

* * *

 **A/N: THis literally came right on here the moment I finished it. How could you guys ever think I'd kill my little angel? Or maybe I just might? Review to find out! Since this is the last chapter coming up, and this story is so damn close to 100 reviews, please can we reach it? I'd love love love to see this story reach 100 reviews. PLEASE!**

 **Also, shoutout to TheMortalBlades (I think thats the right name?) because I believe you've read and reviewed on most of my current work, and that is so awesome!**

 **LET'S REACH 100 REVIEWS EVERYONE REVIEW, EVEN YOU LOVELY SILENT READERS! ONLY six MORE REVIEWS!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot.**

* * *

Things went in flashes. The ride to the hospital in the shaking ambulance. "Clear." The way Will's chest arched off the table while his eyes stayed shut. The doors of the ambulance slamming open. Nurses pulling Nico away. Apollo's commanding voice, barking orders through heavy tears. Doors slamming shut. And the waiting. There was so much waiting.

Eventually, Apollo sat across from Nico. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a sharp breath of air with frustration. His leg bounced and he pounded heavily on the couch.

Nico glared at him. He wasn't mad at him, but he offered somebody to glare at. Apollo lifted his gaze and met Nico's. Those familiar blue eyes bore into him with the weight of the hospital they resided in. With a dark sigh, Apollo moved across the waiting room and sat next to Nico. They didn't speak for ten minutes.

"He's going to make it."

Nico's hands clenched. They both knew Apollo had no idea about his chances. They only said he needed surgery. That was it. Apollo had insisted on being in the viewing room considering he had clearance at that hospital the previous summer. They didn't allow him.

"Did you see the way he fought with my bow? He was as good as I was…"

Nico grunted as he stared at his feet. He couldn't get the images out of his head. Will's chest had to hurt. How were they able to keep him alive? There was so much blood.

"He won it for you guys. Will did it."

"Of course he did. He's stupidly brave," Nico grumbled. "Idiot." Apollo stared at him for a while, but Nico didn't question him. "You should have explained. Written a damn letter or something. You had years." Silence. "If he dies…he'll never know."

Apollo sighed. "You're right," he agreed. "I hoped he would have come around to me first. Clearly, he had no intentions."

Nico spat out the response like venom. "He was going to tomorrow." He hated the wasted breath – the wasted words. Will's words were all so precious. Each one was wrapped with emotion, and he'd wasted some on Apollo? He wasted his words because Apollo was a chicken for eighteen years? It was insulting.

"Don't make yourself so high and mighty, Mr. di Angelo," Apoll huffed as his eyes checked on the double doors again. "We all heard what he said and what you failed to say."

Nico wanted to break his hands. He wondered if he could. "I was about to."

"But you-,"

"Every other time, I hesitated. This time I didn't, okay?" Nico cursed, eyes shooting flames at the rarely gloomy man beside him. They didn't speak for a while, and in that time, everyone else arrived. Percy and Annabeth, both clutching on to each other and staring at the halls in memory, followed Chiron. Seconds later, both the remainder of the girl's and boy's teams walked through the door.

Apollo let out his defeat as his eyes softened, and a hand was placed on Nico's back. "He knew." He got up and grieved elsewhere.

Nico could only disagree with him.

Jason and Percy both sat beside him, neither daring to touch Nico. He tried to pretend they weren't there. It was the only way he could handle the fear, but eventually he got up and moved to a seat near the window as it began to rain. He watched the rain as tears poured down the glass relentlessly.

He hated himself for so many reasons. He never should have let him on the field. They should have fought the referee about the tree robots. He shouldn't have silently begged Will for help. Nico wished they had lost. It was a stupid game.

But it was so much more than that. Part of his fear was for himself. Nico couldn't function without Will. He didn't know when Will became such a big part of his life, and he couldn't tell you that Will was the savior of all his problems. However, he gave Nico something to look forward to. He gave him hope that the future would be different. He offered Nico a friend and, as obvious as it had been from the beginning, he offered him solace.

He couldn't lose Will.

Nico found himself going back to their first kiss, and he grew hysterical. There were so much silliness that produced their relationship. If he'd been brave enough to talk to Will, or if Will would have had any brains outside of the books, they could have avoided such a long journey. Except, now Nico treasured it. He remembered his minor attempts at flirting and how well Will went with it. He remembered all the times struggling to hide the way he checked him out in the mornings. He remembered every touch that made his heart flutter, and every kiss that made his head spin.

Rain poured down his cheeks, and he hugged his knees to his chest. This was so much worse than his parents and sister. He had no idea if Will would survive. He had no idea if he'd get to see that brilliant smile that rivaled the sun. He had no idea if he'd get to hear his husky voice waking him up in the morning. He had no idea if Will would ever be there to insist on getting an injury taken care of in that annoying soon-to-be-doctor voice. He had no idea and it killed him.

Every time a doctor exited the room, Nico lifted his head from hanging over his knees. His neck ached. How long had they been waiting? It had to be hours at this point. The waiting room was a mess. Leo offered to get him food, but he grunted a negative response. They steered clear of him after that, even Chiron. From time to time, Chiron demanded answers from the nurse desk, but they never gave them. Nico was sure his heart hadn't stopped racing since the moment Will fell.

How stupid was his boyfriend, anyhow? Who would throw themselves into a sword just to save a pointless game?

 _I would._

Nico groaned and buried his head in his hands because his voice was right. He would have done the same thing. It wasn't about winning, either. He'd once been so tired with everything going on and with everything not going on that he wouldn't have minded coming to a brave end. Will saw an out and a way to help Nico. If it involved helping anyone, of course Will would send himself on a suicide mission.

He wanted to get his hands on that Titan and strangle-

Hazel sat beside him. Nico had the rage to tell her to fuck off, but he didn't have the energy. His worry and emotions were buzzing with fear that it took all he had left in him. Hazel's hand was miniature as it rested on his back. She whispered, "The longer it is, the longer he's alive."

Nico shook his head, hating the wetness he found in his hands. "Every time I come here, people die. They took Bianca here, you know? She burned to death. My parents only suffocated. They said she was practically only bones, but they took her here anyways. I made them show me her, and they weren't lying. I couldn't recognize it was her. The only thing that gave her away was her obsidian necklace. She died. Annabeth's baby died. And now Will…"

Hazel shook her head and rubbed circles on his back as Nico choked. "He's alive. Can't you feel it? He. Is. _Alive_."

The way those words danced across her lips made Nico want to believe her. Her beautiful voice sparkled like the obsidian Bianca always wore. Nico repeated her words in his mind, over and over until he could speak it on his own. He was alive. He had to be alive. He was strong.

When a surgeon covered in blood stumbled out of the double doors, Nico held his breath. A smile, one so bleak compared to Will's, spread over his lips once he ripped his mask off. "Solace?"

They gathered around. Chiron, Apollo, and Nico were led to the front. His friends were at his back, but not too close. Despite the smile, nobody was prepared for bad news – for what Nico would do with the bad news.

"Will Solace made it through. His heart, however, did stop once on the table and twice in the ambulance. He'll need to take it easy for the next week or so, but he truly should be fine. He's waking up now, if you'd like to see him. Two at a time."

Nico automatically stepped forward. The doctor began to protest, but Nico growled, "Brother." Though he didn't believe it, he sighed and stepped aside. Chiron followed as well with Apollo protesting lightly; even he knew Will wouldn't want to see him.

The nurse was agonizingly slow on their way to Will's room. He could _feel_ his heart hitting against his ribs, yearning to break free. She opened the door, and Nico burst inside. The sight before him made him want to both faint and cry. Will was bound around his chest with other bandages here and there for minor injuries. He was so pale - paler than Nico had ever been. His body was lying flat on its back in a picture perfect image of a corpse. For a second, Nico thought he was dead, but the heart monitor told him otherwise. Will would have hated to sleep that way. He was never comfortable like that. His leg had to be hitched upright in the perfect position.

In hushed whispers, the nurse informed Chiron of something having to do with Will's position. Nico stumbled to his bedside, hand clasping the pale one before him. It seemed like hours that he stood there simply remembering Will's face. He suddenly wondered why Nico had the name that meant angel. Asleep, Will looked like one sent from heaven above, even in his messy state.

"Hphm. Brother my butt," the nurse snorted as she shut the door behind her. Chiron walked to Will's other side and watched as the boy's eyes fluttered. Nico's heart did the same.

"Strong boy," Chiron grunted. Nico looked up at him, cautiously shooting a glare. Chiron huffed. "Fine. I'll give you two some privacy. Would you like anything to eat, Mr. di Angelo?"

Nico shook his head as Will's hand squeezed his. Chiron exited without more words, and Nico was immensely grateful for that. Will's eyes opened fully, and his face was one of confusion. "Death boy, what are you doing out of your cage?"

Nico didn't quite understand what he meant by that, but he didn't care. He squeezed his hand so tightly he should have been worried about hurting him. Will's lips lifted into a smile of exhaustion as Nico flung his arms around his body. "Ouch," he said, as if reminding him to brush his teeth. Nico immediately jumped back, but he couldn't hide the tears that had already fell. Will smiled worriedly, as if Nico looked worse than he did. "What happened?"

"You threw yourself into a damn blade to save the game, idiot," Nico cursed at him. Will's grin grew.

"Yes, that's right. We did win, didn't we?"

Nico shook his head. "Fuck you, Solace," he grunted as he pressed his lips to Will's forehead and inhaled his scent, as if to remind himself that Will was indeed alive. "Fuck you."

. . .

Nico slept on the chair by Will's bed. He offered to scoot over, but neither of them trusted the wound enough to physically move his body even an inch. Will slept through lunch, resurfaced to eat a few bites of bread, and fell back into oblivion. Nico didn't mind. He was willing to spend all day at his bedside if it meant he got to brush hair out of his face and listen to the way his breath escaped his lips. He seemed so young when he slept.

Chiron came and went, checking in less out of policy than true concern. Most of their friends had filtered in once or twice in pairs just to see for their own eyes he was okay. Apollo made two appearances, one of which was spent with him talking on the phone to Will's mother. She was freaking out, by the sounds of it.

It took him a while to stay fully awake for over five minutes. Nico was forced to take a shower and clean up, so he missed his 'awakening.' Will was sitting there messing with the television. "It won't work. I tried."

He jumped and clutched at his heart. When his eyes saw his wet hair and new clothes, he scoffed. "You used my shower and didn't invite me? I'm hurt."

Nico smiled, glad to see the old Will back. Instantly, he came to his side. Will scooted over despite his protests and pulled Nico on the bed. "I missed you," he crawled under Nico's arms and nuzzled into his chest. "My dreams were so boring."

Nico shook his head and pressed his lips into Will's hair, which still managed to smell good after not showering for two days. "You scared me, Will. I thought you were gonna-,"

Will squeezed his arms around Nico and shook his head. "I didn't. I won't leave you, Nico. I love you."

"Even married couples have to admit til death do us part," Nico grumbled. "Hey Will?"

Will tilted his head so that he could look into Nico's eyes. They were, as always, beautiful, especially now that he'd regained more color into his skin. "I just…I'm kind of in l-,"

Quick knocks sounded on the door before Nico could finish his sentence. Apollo's head stuck through the door and made Will growl, "Of fucking course!"

Without a hint of embarrassment, Apollo walked through the door rubbing his hands. Nico began to sit up, but Will didn't let him. All he did was unwrap his arms and lean his head against Nico's chest. "Apollo."

"Nico." He responded cordially. "Could you give Will and I some privacy or are you required to be attached at the hip 24/7?"

Nico rolled his eyes, and Will answered snootily, "We are, actually. Doctor's orders." Nico burst into laughter and raised an eyebrow. Apollo huffed indignantly. He slapped his hands on his thighs, and it was only then that Nico realized he was genuinely nervous.

"Okay. Fine. Look, Will, I owe you an explanation." He huffed. "I've owed you one a while ago."

Will crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah." Apollo sat on the chair and stared at his hands for a while. "Any day now. I don't know where you should start. Why you left or why you came back. You choose."

For the first time, there was no cocky smirk or happy smile on Apollo's face. He was serious, and that made the situation so much worse. "I wanted to stay, Will. I wanted to so badly, but…you weren't my only responsibility." He couldn't look them in the face as he mumbled. "Your mom and I were in love, Will, but we weren't exclusive. We couldn't be when we lived seven hours apart. She knew – I thought she knew that…and when I got a woman pregnant with triplets, I didn't know how to tell her except to end things. I had to be in my kids' lives."

Will scoffed haughtily at that.

"It was months before I could meet with her again, and when I did, I couldn't break her heart right away. I didn't want to either, Will. I loved her." He hung his head. "So when she said she was pregnant, I moved in. I thought it was the right thing to do – I loved _her_ after all. For a while, I forced myself to forget about the other three, but it wasn't right to abandon them or their mother. It wasn't right to you, either, Will, but I figured…three children over one."

Will sat up. He swung his legs over the bed and swayed slightly, causing Nico to steady him. He shook his hand off, though. Nico's heart panged. He didn't know how Will would take it. He knew how he'd take it, though. It sounded like a shitty excuse, a real but shitty excuse. However, he was able to be unbiased. If he were Apollo, he didn't know what he would have chosen to do.

"Why didn't you," Will growled, shaking his head as if the thoughts were too jumbled to create one sentence. "Why didn't you just m-move us to you? I could have at least known you!"

Apollo sighed as he lifted his head to look at Will. "Your mother refused. She thought I cheated on her. I swear I made it clear that we weren't exclusive, but she didn't want to be around me either way. So I gave her money and checked up on you as much as I could, but she made it clear to me that she didn't want me around you." He shrugged sadly. "I guess time changed things for her. When she sent you to school on the east coast where I worked, I got hopeful. My other children are all off in college now, and their mother and I have long ago separated. I suppose I was too hopeful in thinking we could work things out. So…I'm sorry, Will. I never meant to upset you, but when you almost died, I regretted not telling you earlier. It was very immature of me."

Silence captivated the room. Nico's eyes fell on Will, sometimes glancing at Apollo. Will fell back on the bed, exhaustion seeping into his bones. His eyes closed and he mumbled, "Please leave."

Apollo gulped, and Nico knew exactly what he was thinking. He failed. He lost Will, possibly for forever.

Shaking, he stood. "Your mother is almost here. If you have any questions, here's my number." He left a piece of paper on the bedside table and slowly made his way to the door. "Take care of him, Nico."

Nico felt unease at hearing that. He nodded his head in confirmation and pulled the blanket up to Will's shoulders. Apollo shut the door quietly behind him, and less than ten seconds later did Nico hear Will's silent whimpers.

Carefully, Nico slid down and wrapped his arms around Will. They didn't say anything. Nico was content holding him and hoping he'd heal on his own. "You were right," Will sniffled. "He had a reason."

Nico pressed his lips to his shoulder. "Are you okay with it?"

Will groaned and shook his head. "No. Yes. I don't know. He still left us." Nico nodded into his neck, hoping to provide some sort of distraction. "But…I have siblings."

Nico snorted. "You do. Is that a good thing?"

Will scooted back into his chest. "I have to find something good from this mess, don't I? You think they look like me?"

Nico felt the energy draining out of him by the second. He brushed hair out of his eyes as they fluttered shut. He wiped away the tears, praying they wouldn't come back. "You look just like Apollo, so maybe."

Will yawned and rolled to his back, staring dazedly into Nico's eyes. He smiled weakly, a tired defeated smile. "What were you going to say earlier?"

Nico chuckled and pressed his lips to his for no more than a second. "Doesn't matter. Get some sleep. I'll be right here."

Will looked like he wanted to protest, but the temptation for sleep was too strong. "Thanks for being here, angel. I need you too much."

Nico watched as his breathing evened out and his pulse dropped a little lower. "I love you, Solace."

* * *

 **A/N: I can't believe I am dragging this out so long. There will be one more chapter, as of right now. No progress whatsoever has been made on it, so…time. BUT OMG 100 REVIEWS THAT'S SO AWESOME! I LOVE YOU GUYS! It brings me so much joy! Btw, another Solangelo one-shot is coming up with a different prompt than more Solangelo stories and I really like it so far. Let me see some love? What do you think about Apollo's explanation? What would you have done in his situation?**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot. Rick my man owns the characters.**

 **A/N: OMG this is it. (insert crying face emoji) ;(**

* * *

Nico was forced to go back to school eventually. The weeks without Will were hard. He'd visit every weekend for most of it, and they'd talk every night. That part wasn't bad. The hard part was training his replacement. Will would be released eventually, but he probably wouldn't make it to another tournament.

Thankfully, the kid didn't move in with them. He was a horrible archer compared to Will. Nico let Frank handle Dakota. He seemed out of it nearly all the time, but if he were using drugs, Nico wouldn't say a word until Will was back and ready.

It was when Nico was dodging one of Dakota's many questions about how his and Will's relationship that Reyna found him. Back resting against the trunk of his and Will's tree, she thanked Jason for leading her to him.

Nico scoffed. "How did you manage to slip in alone time with me – a _boy_?"

Reyna stood before him as he sketched in his book lightly, drunkenly, drearily. She kicked his foot with a gentleness that hadn't been there before. "You're so gay even Chiron knows." Nico mumbled a comment under his breath. "Why aren't you up there? Will told Lou all about how 'cute' you looked up there."

"You got close with Lou?"

"You can't hide from Lou and that's a fact," she sighed and sat beside him. As the breeze sent chills over their bodies, she nudged his side. Nico blew out a breath of air that seemed colder than the air around them.

He shrugged and glanced longingly up the tree.

"It's not the same without him, is it?" Reyna had a way of knowing Nico. She didn't bring up personal stuff hardly at all, though, so it surprised Nico she got it on the dot. He nodded grudgingly. "I like him for you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he grumbled, pencil pausing in effort to lure the answer from her lips. Reyna's dark hair fell to hide her eyes, but the teasing glint didn't escape his notice.

"He's made you softer. Not as soft as butter – I couldn't stand speaking to you if that were the case, but…you went from diamond to gold." Reyna announced, and only a girl as sure as Reyna could say those words with grace.

"I'm not softer."

She shrugged, like the matter didn't mean a thing. Maybe it didn't to most people, but it irritated Nico for a moment. He didn't want to be soft; he didn't want to be weak. Then, he thought about the way he felt in his arms when his head was tearing his soul apart. He thought about the water in Will's eyes and how nobody could ever begin to call Will such a feeble word as _weak_. Maybe it was okay to be soft sometimes. Maybe it made him better.

"I'm sorry, by the way. I pushed all my anger on you," Reyna mumbled the words like a curse. Nico raised an eyebrow. "You tried to warn me, and I didn't listen. I paid for it."

Nico bit his lip. "You handled it better than some would."

One side of her lips lifted into a hint of a smile. "Yeah? Well, it was shitty of me to dump my feelings on you."

"It's cool. How are you with him and Piper together?"

Reyna laughed dryly. "It's not bad. There have been a few times I kicked her out of the cabin for a few hours so I wouldn't hurt her, but other than that? We're good."

Nico grinned at Reyna. He never had a great sense of humor, but neither did she. "How are you and sunshine boy?"

Nico rolled his eyes as he began brushing in more detail. He hadn't been excited over a tattoo since months ago, not like this. "We're good…"

Reyna waited for a minute before speaking, secretly hoping that he'd spill. Nico knew her. "According to Lou, you two haven't done the deed."

Nico blushed and shook his head, adding finishing touches to the tattoo. "No." He waited to hear her comment or advice or overall shock, but instead her eyes were focused on Nico at bay, waves of serenity passing through his vision. "Want to see my next tattoo?"

He showed her the sketch. "Another one with color? This seems like a bad idea."

"It's not to match him," Nico scoffed. "He just happened to be the one to remind me to be happy every once in a while, to be in the light. So."

Reyna's eyes were stormy as she looked between him and the tattoo. She smiled. "Okay. Let's go get it."

. . .

Will got released from the hospital a week later. Since he arrived during school hours, Nico didn't get to see him before the others did. Will, of course, made a show of it. He came into the lunch area with the aura of a dead man walking. People cheered because nobody had ever gotten hospitalized during one of their games, not in this century that was.

Nico watched as half the school came up to Will and patted him on the back. He loved the attention, clearly, and why shouldn't he? The game almost took his life, and he was walking right back to the team. Well, really he had to wait a while before he could do any vigorous activity. When Nico jokingly mentioned sex, he said he already asked and that it'd be fine. Now that got his heart racing again.

When Will sat down at their usual lunch table, people finally went back to their usual business. "What? No kiss from my boyfriend?"

Leo threw a roll at Nico. "Yeah, Nico, kiss him!"

Nico rolled his eyes. "I will push you off this table, Solace," he growled, and Will's face split into that sunshine pure grin.

"That's my Nico," Will slung his arms around Nico and pressed his lips to his cheek. "I missed you, too."

"Yeah, whatever," Nico mumbled, but as the rest of them were roped into an intense conversation about hot nurses at the hospital, Nico found Will's hand and scooted a little closer. It was good to have him back. It was really good.

Will didn't mention their next class as they exited Greek history with a wave at Chiron. Nico didn't bring it up either. When they entered anatomy, Apollo was grading papers. His eyes connected with Will's, both hopeful and relieved.

"Mom said hello."

Apollo raised his eyebrows. "Oh. Very kind of her."

Will sat at his seat in the front that hadn't had somebody sit there in so long it had nearly collected dust. "She said to take her somewhere nice."

Apollo looked around the room hesitantly, as if he were being pranked. "So…you're okay with us together?"

Will shrugged as Nico sat down next to him. "As long as I can meet your other kids."

Both Nico and Apollo nearly choked. "You want to meet them?" he stumbled to think clearly.

Will nodded. "Yeah."

Apollo blew out a breath of air. "Okay."

. . .

Nico and Will didn't get much time to themselves throughout the week. Dakota was always following Nico and Will around, asking for tips with his bow and arrow. "I just think it's the pussy way out, if you ask me."

Nico deadpanned, "Will literally was the only one to almost get killed."

"Still."

So when Will asked Nico to come with him to meet his half siblings Saturday, Nico jumped at the chance. They hadn't so much as made out in the last month, and it was killing Nico.

They were waiting at the entrance of the school for Apollo while Will was rambling. Nico loved when Will rambled. It gave him relief that he didn't have to fill the silence, and Will was absolutely adorable when he did it. Sitting on a bench, Will's hands waved around animatedly with his words, "So I guess his weakest son, Halcyon, died when he was ten, but Kayla and Austin are in college nearby. Apparently, Austin is _the_ Austin! The one on Youtube who can sing better than Beyoncé! And Kayla used to go to the girls' school. She was and still is known as their best archer. Crazy, huh?"

Nico broke into an unbearable grin. He wrapped his arm around Will's waist and sighed. "They're going to love you and your rambling."

"Just like you love me?" Will asked, eyebrow raised, but he didn't sound curious or nervous. He sounded very, very sure of himself. Nico stiffened.

"W-what?"

"I wasn't asl-,"

"Boys! Are you ready to go? They should be over their hangovers and have every one-nighters out of the apartment by now," Apollo walked with his regular swagger, far less nervous than he'd been in the last two months. Will only laughed, and Nico's fears were, at the least, prolonged.

The cab ride was awkward, with Will squished between his dad and Nico.

"You know, I've been with a few guys myself," Apollo started out. Nico groaned and hit his head against the window. "Being a doctor can come in handy, too. It's all about knowing your anatomy."

"Yes, that's _exactly_ why we took your class," Nico deadpanned. "To learn how to do anal properly."

Apollo huffed and looked out the window with annoyance. "I don't know how you put up with that mouth of his, Will."

Will laughed before leaning nearer to Nico. "I put up with you _for_ your mouth."

Apollo scoffed. "Very original son."

Nico groaned and buried his head in Will's side. "What did I do to deserve a full day of double Will?"

It turned out his siblings lived only fifteen minutes away. Their apartment wasn't the nicest, but whose ever was in college? Kayla looked nothing like Austin. She had short ginger hair dyed a distinct green. It seemed to match her more outgoing personality well.

"Will!" she exclaimed and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly and not letting him go. "I hope this _is_ Will I'm hugging and not the boyfriend."

"You'd think I'd create something as dark as him? Give me some credit, Kayla!" Apollo pushed through the doorway. Austin snorted with little amusement. Nico already liked him.

When Kayla pulled away, she crossed her arms and thoroughly examined Nico. "Cute. Brooding – very hot. Can he speak?"

Nico stared at her like she had two heads. "Yes, and I can count, too!"

"Sarcastic? You like the sarcastic type?" Kayla asked as if she didn't get it. "So much to learn about you! Come in!"

Austin greet Nico first while Kayla whisked Will around the miniscule apartment. "She's a bit over the top. When she heard we had a younger sibling, she jumped at the chance to baby him."

Nico shrugged and smirked slightly. "He has a friend just like her. I've learned how to deal with it." Austin grinned, and Nico didn't miss how similar it was to Will's.

"You're funny. So…what does Will think about us?" Austin seemed a bit nervous as he watched Kayla try to overload Will with words.

Nico shrugged. "I think he's always wanted more family. He hasn't stopped talking about meeting you all since Wednesday."

That answer appeased Austin. He clapped his hands together. "Well alright! Where do you want to go to eat guys?"

Apollo groaned. "I told you to cook!"

Austin answered in the same tone. "We don't cook!"

"Will just ate hospital food for nearly a month and you expect him to just go out to eat? No!"

Will interjected, deviating from Kayla's advice about which type of string was best to use. "I really don't mind-,"

"Nonsense!" Apollo jumped to his feat. He thought momentarily before snapping his fingers. "I've got it! We can cook breakfast together!"

Kayla blushed and looked at her feet. "We don't have anything besides cereal."

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?"

"If you would give us more money…" Austin trailed off pointedly. Apollo groaned.

"Fine. Here's what we'll do. I'm taking your three to the store and showing how not to live like savages. Nico and Will can stay here."

"Why can't they go? And why do we have to go?" Austin complained while he picked up his jacket.

Apollo was already at the door. "They're two boys in love who haven't gotten any alone time in a month. They'll find something to do."

Kayla scoffed. "Really? Don't you share a cabin?"

"Uh," Will glanced at Nico. "I've been in the hospital for a month. The others have kept me up until I passed out updating me on everything."

Nico groaned and flopped on the couch. Only he would get in this situation. When the door shut, Will burst into laughter. "I'm sorry, Nico." Will came around and sat by his head, lifting it up as if to see if he was still breathing. "Are you okay?"

With a breath of air, Nico rolled over and sighed. "It's just disturbing because Apollo's not wrong."

Will's hands ran through Nico's tufts of hair. "Not wrong about what?"

Cheeks turning red, Nico looked away from Will's intense gaze. "That we haven't had much alone time…"

Will was silent for so long that Nico eventually had to look at him. He had a dirty grin paired with his nearly forgotten bedroom eyes. "We have it now."

Nico sighed. "Yep." He opened his mouth to let his confession spill out, but then the door opened again.

Kayla, breathless, giggled, "Condoms are in the bathroom under the sink. Use Austin's bed, will you? He used mine last night with this sleazy girl and needs revenge. Thanks, bye!"

She slammed the door with too much enthusiasm. Nico sat up and chuckled slightly. "I like her," Will confessed like it was a secret.

"Austin's cool."

"Austin seems gay. Stay away."

Nico raised an eyebrow. "Are you jealous?"

Will shrugged with a pout. "I saw you smiling at him."

Nico tilted his head. Swiftly, he moved over and climbed on Will's lap, smiling widely, and falsely, up at him. "Is this better?"

Will rolled his eyes. Nico went to extremes and placed both hands on his face so he had to look at him. "And Dakota won't stop eye fucking you…"

Nico's lips were nearly on his as he mumbled, "I wish you'd ass fuck me."

That changed _everything._ Will's body went still. The air around them turned into searing heat, but Nico didn't back away. His body rested lightly on top of Will's thighs, and his hands moved backwards into his curls.

"Don't mess with me like that, Death Boy," Will murmured with disdain. Nico lips lifted.

"I'm not." Then, Will fully leaned back and looked Nico over in surprise. Nico sighed. "I had a lot of time to think when you were in surgery, Will," Nico's hands tugged lightly at Will's hair as those blue eyes darkened. "I want to have sex. I want to do everything with you while we can. I mean…if you're okay with fucking a virgin."

Will reacted immediately. His lips scorched Nico's, and it'd been so long he wasn't fully prepared for the butterflies in his stomach or the way his body melted into his. Will pulled away mere milliliters. His growl came out possessively, turning Nico on more than before. "I don't care if you're a virgin or not. _You're Nico_."

The way the words rolled off his lips like they were the words to end all problems made Nico want him even more. Grinning, he pressed kisses down Will's neck, lightly at first, but then he heard the moans and felt his presence. He began sucking right where he knew it would make him moan in a matter of seconds. Will gripped his bottom firmly, slipping under his jeans with more enthusiasm than Nico had ever seen in him.

"You have one minute to find a condom before I suck you off," Nico's nails dug into his hips as he scooted closer. Will whimpered beneath him.

"Not a chance, baby."

Nico didn't regret his decision. The only thing that changed between he and Will was the need to constantly see him, smell him…do anything with him. Instead of quenching his desires, it only fueled Nico to want more, so much more. He never imagined how amazing Will could make him feel, and now he wanted to explore all possible ways of replicating that feeling. Even while they cooked an innocent breakfast together, Nico couldn't stop catching Will's gaze and blushing because, dammit, he knew how much he wanted to have sex again.

Nico didn't complain when Apollo teased Will about his hickey; he was too busy imagining giving him another one.

. . .

"Maybe we could have sex in our tree," Nico casually suggested as their hands swayed in the wind. Will's feet splashed water onto both of their legs as they landed in a puddle. It was finally warming up, and Will was able to do more vigorous activities, which included climbing a tree.

"Nico, we can't have sex in a tree."

"You're just a big sore baby," he grumbled as they reached the tree. Will thumped him upside the head. "Ouch." They climbed the tree to their branch, and Will chuckled as Nico pressed his back into the tree and let his legs rest on Will's lap. "The last time we were here, you thought I was straight."

"So did you."

Will shook his head. "No. I kind of assumed once I realized you were mad about Lou, but you never came out to me or anyone, so I was going to let you do that on your own…"

Nico rolled his eyes. "Ever the smart one."

Will grew excited. "Oh! What are you doing for spring break?" Nico's hint of a smirk dropped from his face as he clutched his sketchbook closer to him. When he began to speak, Will interrupted. "Nothing? Perfect. Mom wants you to come to the beach with us!"

Nico's eyes went wide. "I don't have any-,"

"Apollo is a doctor trying to win back his forgotten son's love. He'll give me whatever I want. And I want you." To prove his point, Will pulled Nico closer. Fearing the fall of twenty feet, Nico quickly shifted so he sat on Will's lap.

"I don't know…"

"Kayla and Austin are coming."

Nico pretended to grow excited. "Oh Austin? I'll definitely be – ow! Is it beat up on Nico day or something?" Nico rubbed his arm where Will had pinched it. Will huffed indignantly. "I'm kidding, Sunshine. You're the only thing I want."

"I am?" Will asked with less certainty than Nico was accustomed to hearing from his shining star. A nervous pit began to stir in Nico's chest, one that he forced himself to feed off of. He needed strength for his next move, a move that should have been made a long time ago.

Nico leaned his back against a nearby branch, still resting heavily on Will's lap. He didn't seem to mind, instead favoring to watch with the utmost interest. "I don't think you noticed last week, but I got another tattoo while you were in the hospital."

Will pouted. "Without me?"

Nico smirked slightly as he pushed his weight into the trees and raised his hips off Will. He pulled his pants down a good amount, and Will's eyes glazed over as they came into contact with the new artwork adorning his skin.

"They, uh, had trouble finding room. Had to work the black in with the sun, but…" Nico shrugged, wanting to explain it in full detail so he wouldn't sound too obsessed with his only couple month long boyfriend, but Will seemed to already have trouble catching his breath. "Solace? You okay?"

Will blinked rapidly before finally looking back at Nico, blue oceans meeting pools of rich chocolate. "It's…wow. What does it mean exactly?"

Feeling the urge to stare at his hands or the ground far below, Nico blushed and forced his gaze to stay locked on Will's. It didn't help that Will's hand was now resting over his exposed skin, thumb rubbing the new ink with adoration. "It's a reminder to walk in the light, especially when I feel quite dark."

Will pursed his lips and squeezed his hip tightly. "It's beautiful."

Nico hesitated, glancing anxiously between the ground and Will's intensely burning gaze. His chest began to fill with water, or was that air? It was so hard to breathe he might as well have been swimming in the stars. Yet, he managed to blurt out words, which led to more words, honest words, words that somehow hinted at the closest description of his feelings for the boy before him while still not coming close to doing the emotions justice.

"I, uh, I have you to thank for that, Will. You were there to pick me up without even knowing the good side to me, or whatever it is you call it when I was happier. You saved my ass, so thanks," Nico sighed. The blue orbs distracted him so. Will, for once, didn't smile. He was waiting on his words with such seriousness, Nico had to pour his heart out to him. "I just – I really love you, Will. A lot. Like, in love with you love."

All of Will's smiles were breath-taking, but this one was more. The way the sunset reflected in his eyes turned them golden, and his freckles made the smile that much more beautiful. Nico hadn't felt more love for him than in that very moment. His perfect, straight, wide smile reached his eyes, giving him one single dimple. Then, Will threw his arms around Nico's neck and pressed his lips to his.

The world was right again, and all nervousness drained out of his system.

"I'm madly in love with you, too, Nico di Angelo," Will bit his lip and slyly pulled away. " _Tu sei il mio piccolo angelo._ "

 _You're my little angel._

Nico's heart grew unbearably warm as he stared with awe. "You spoke Italian…perfectly. That was beautiful."

Will blushed and pecked his cheek. "What one will do while in love…and confined to a hospital bed for weeks."

Nico fell into his chest laughing, and honest laugh with an honest smile. He was happy again. He could imagine that his mother was smiling at him, wherever she may be, because he kept his Italian influence with a state of pleasure. And maybe she wouldn't mind him being with a man if it meant he was happy and himself.

" _Ti amo, il mio sole_ ," Nico whispered lazily against Will's chest where he drifted into a lifetime of pleasure. "I love you, my sunshine."

* * *

 **A/N: Wow I don't think I've ever been so sad that a story has ended. This wasn't even my best writing in my opinion - poorly planned out plot. But it was fun. However, I have an idea on a new Solangelo story, but I don't want to do itttt cause I need to finish my last Clace story bc I'm horrible and don't finish stories omg.**

 **Anyways, WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE ENDING? I felt like that was a good time to end things, yeah? Idk. Maybe it was cheesy, but like I said, poorly planned out plot. But I love Kayla and Austin, kinda hate Lou (if you couldn't tell from her lack of a presence). Jk, I hate how the fandom has made her out to be so…annoying? Yeah. Anyways I really want to hear your feedback, please! Ending feedback is the best! Also the most helpful bc I obviously struggle to end stories well.**

 **Follow me for any new stories because I'll surely have some out soon! Also, check out my other Solangelo work.**

 **PS: I 1) need a beta reader plssss 2) would love to take any short story prompts!**


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